Amazonian Support
by Anime Princess
Summary: The Divine have a way with teaching mortals. Again and agian the world has ended and been reborn to start a new. One such Divine teacher, has grown tired of seeing the world destroyed. It has decided to step in, but the Divine cannot mess with mortal affa
1. Chapter 1

Amazonian Support

It was dark and nothing could be seen for miles. Not a sound existed. Not even the sound of the person's breathing as it walked through the dark emptiness. It was a place yet to be and yet a place that once was. Once this place helped birth new worlds and new heroes. Now, it was a place of eternal silence. The person, this Guardian, has seen Empire's fall and Empire's being born. They watched ever vigilant over the world as it was born again and again through the Fate's amused will. Humans had always been their favorite playthings. They think to have free will when all along the Fates had used invisible strings to pull them like a Puppeteer does with it's marionettes. The Guardian was starting to tire of watching mankind make the same mistakes over and over again. That was one of the reasons for Fate's amusement. They, the Humans that is, have a saying that _'We should learn from past mistakes so they aren't repeated again'_, but they have yet to prove their discipline in that particular skill. The Guardian was fed up. It was going to help. After all, Humans are not perfect and they occasionally needed the help after all….

King Arthur doesn't belong to me and the Guardian is an idea off of Sailor Moon, but it isn't anyone of the Sailor Scouts. It's just that idea of a Guardian I'm using.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own King Arthur.** I don't even own the Guardian (the idea of her anyways). I borrowed it from Sailor Moon (Cosmos). But I never describe her so she can look like anyone she feels like and no one will know the difference. **All the OCs (Sarmatia, Romana, Theaia, Areia, and Athena) is mine too!**

Battle and death were all around her. Men and women of all ages were falling left and right to their doom. Her vision was moving so fast she felt physically ill. She snorted. She was an Amazon Princess, born and bred to lead other women into battle, and she felt ill at the sight of all this carnage. Suddenly her vision froze on the image of a man with short unruly black hair, dark skin, and dark hazel eyes. Then a voice from above echoed down upon her.

"This is Artorius Castus other wised known as Arthur. He is the one man that you will follow. He is your leader, your match, and yet, not your mate. For his future lies with another woman by the name of Guinevere." Then the vision blurred and focused on a girl her age with brown hair, brown eyes, dressed in Woad brown battle gear, and had blue paint decorating her young body. The voice continued.

"This is Lancelot, Arthur's second in command. He is a skilled warrior who has lost his way. He is tired of his life as a warrior, and yet he knows his death awaits him in a battle of his choosing soon. He isn't supposed to die my daughter…he still has much goodness to do. He also has a family that loves and misses him so." The vision blurred again before settling upon the form of a man with short curly black hair, dark black-brown eyes, and wielding twin blades. He was quite skilled. She also noticed that he was very handsome and held a certain quality she couldn't quite place. The voice continued.

"These are the Sarmatian Knights…" she had a quick vision of all seven men all dressed in armor. "They are great warriors that the Fates enjoy torturing very much. I have grown weary of watching the Fates toy with them. I hope that with my help, you and your sisters can help prevent their fates. Their destinies, I cannot prevent for the legend of Arthur and his Knights must occur, but their specific fates, together, you and your sisters, and myself can change. My daughter, will you help me?"

Sarmatia, named after the strong warrior people of times past, nodded. She was curious to learn more about these men who were so important to her Lady. They seemed very different from other men. Almost like, they weren't truly real-like they were a dream of what Knights should be. But she was wandering, she knew they were real otherwise her Lady wouldn't send her and her sisters to help them.

"My Lady, what if, they do not accept our help?" she asked cautiously.

The voice replied, "They will, all you must do is prove your battle prowess. After all, they are no strangers to a female fighter. All seven have killedfemale fighters."

Sarmatia **(Sar-May-Sha)** nodded and felt her world grow dim. She was waking up.

"My Lady! Where am I to find these Knights!" she yelled as the world around her grew foggy and dark.

"Briton…." Echoed the Lady's voice softly.

With a gasp, a young woman with long silky raven black curly hair, wide violet eyes, and pale skin awoke shivering. She sat up and stared at the fur blanket covering her bare body from the waist down. _'That dream was no dream.'_ She thought to herself. _'It was a message from My Lady! I must go to the others and travel to Briton…but where is the question.'_ Sluggishly, Sarmatia crawled out of bed and dressed in simple workout clothes. Her hair was pulled up into an elaborate twist with curls encircling her head like a protective cushion, a violet half top that had thick over the shoulder straps, no sleeves, a brown thigh length skirt, and simple shin length brown boots. Around her neck was a brown leather necklace with a diamond crystal hanging in her cleavage, a gold upper shoulder bracelet that looked like a snake eating its tail, and a simple gold ring around her right finger. When she stepped outside her travel tent, she saw her sisters-in-arms, Romana **(Ro-Man-Ah)**, Athena, Areia **(Ah-Ray-Ah)**, and Theaia **(They-Ah)**. They too looked like they hadn't slept well.

"Ladies, did you not get enough sleep?" she asked as they gathered around the fire that Areia had made minutes before.

Theaia shook her head and said, "I had strange visions of men in armor fighting and one fell to a man with long blond hair and cruel blue-green eyes. I felt like crying when I woke up because it felt like my very heart had been pierce when the man fell to the bloody earth dead."

Areia snorted and said hotly, "Ha! Men! Without we ladies to guide and order them about, they'd be lost! Besides, we answer to no man, why are you so fanciful for a man that could only be a dream?"

Athena added shortly, "Areia! You know better than that! Our Lady has paid us a visit! She obviously wants us to help these men."

Romana, Sarmatia's best friend and second in command, said, "But, are they even still amongst the living? That battled looked awful. They could already be dead."

Sarmatia cut in ending the meeting, "No, they are alive. We are to go to Briton and find the residence of Artorius Castus, named Arthur. He is to which we swear our allegiance."

Areia gasped and Athena whispered, "The man of prophecy? **HE** is the one all Amazon's will obey!"

Sarmatia nodded and said, "Our Lady wills it, So Mote It Be."

The five girls placed their palms together, and with their right pointer finger drew a circle upon their chest in a sign of Eternal Life and Death. Their religion was based on the very seasons of Earth and that was all. They liked it that way.

"Pack quickly! Romana! Send word to the villages, we march for Briton. Theaia! Send Ameiya **(Ah-May-Ah)** out to scout ahead! If we travel hard, we should arrive in two days time. Agreed?"

The four nodded and Theaia and Areia rushed to pack. Romana and Athena hurriedly wrote ten letters to the ten surviving villages to head to Briton.

Lancelot was in a dream. He knew it. And that was the funny part. He was currently in a white fog that revealed everything and yet virtually nothing of importance at the same time. He squinted to see through the veil. Predictably, he was lost and unarmed. He truly hoped nothing lived here that would attack him. Suddenly the space in front of him swirled to life to reveal a very beautiful woman. She had raven black curly hair like him and beautiful enchanting violet eyes. She was talking to a blond with amber eyes that were beautiful and calm. But no matter how much he wanted to focus on **BOTH** women, his gaze would not leave the violet eyed female. Then a woman's voice drifted into his ears from the very heavens above him.

"Lancelot, Knight of Arthur, I greet you happily. The woman before you is an ally. She and her sisters come from the south, by the mainland path, to join you in your quest. Do **NOT **send them away."

With that the voice was gone and Lancelot surged into the land of the awake. Unknown to him, four other Knights were experiencing the same wake up call.

When they gathered in the War Room, Arthur looked at them all and said, "Brothers, in a few short weeks, our freedom, **YOUR** freedom will be awarded to you. Unfortunately, there has been rumors of a large female encourage traveling here. They should be here in two days. We must prepare to fight an entire army consisting of women. What defenses should we arrange?"

Gawain, Galahad, Tristan, Dagonet, and Lancelot jumped into awareness, as Galahad exclaimed surging to his feet, "NO! They are coming to help us! Not hinder us!"

The other Knights stared at him and he flushed in embarrassment.

Arthur stared at him for a long time and asked, "How did you come into this knowledge?"

Galahad flushed again and said, "My dreams…"

Lancelot cut in before Arthur could admonish the younger Knight, "I, too, had a vision-dream-whatever it is foretelling of a female army coming to help us. I think we should prepare to fight, but only fight if they present a threat to us Arthur."

Arthur stared long and hard into his second's eyes.

For a minute, Lancelot feared his friend would not believe him, but Arthur nodded and said, "By our friendship and our bond, I will wait and see. I trust your judgment Lancelot. As I trust all of yours. If you all say, they pose no threat to us, I will welcome them with open arms."

Galahad smiled and nodded. He couldn't wait to see the hotheaded woman with fiery red hair and snapping blue eyes to match.


	3. Chapter 3

Arthur was in a bind. First off, he was a Roman Soldier and as such he was expected to uphold those standards as a commander, but he was also of Briton and killed his own countrymen. Second, in two days time, a large army of females would be arriving and he didn't know what to do. He had told his knights he would welcome them, and he would, but he couldn't help but feel nervous. He was trusting these women based off a dream his Knights, all but he and Bors, shared. He just wished that sometimes, he wasn't the leader and could just _cast his worries to the four winds_ as his mother used to say. He sighed and placed his hands on top of the wall he was leaning on. Another thing, how could an army, man or woman, travel so fast from the mainland? It should normally be a week's travel from the mainland to the Milestone, so how? It was almost like another force was aiding their horses. He shook his head. It didn't matter. It would all come to head in less than 48 hours anyways. As he stood up, he heard his name from below, "_ARTHUR!_"

He moved to look down and saw his best friend, Lancelot, staring up at his with a crooked grin and holding his twin swords.

"What is it you want Lancelot?" he called back.

"Why is it, that you ALWAYS do this? You are so moody lately! You need to calm down! Come! Spar with me! We haven't sparred together in a long time, you and I! Are we friends or not!"

Arthur actually laughed at Lancelot's grinning frown and nodded as he said, "I'll be there in five minutes! Just let me get Excalibur!"

Lancelot saluted him and went to the arena where the other five Knights were training.

Galahad twisted away from his older brother, Gawain, and said without taking his eyes off, "Is he coming?"

With his swords crossed over his shoulders, Lancelot replied, "He is."

Bors barked a laugh and said, "Good! Now, about these women that be comin'…are they pretty ones?"

Lancelot grinned roguishly and replied back, "They make Vanora look like an ordinary girl."

Bors tripped over his feet when he stopped in mid-charge and turned to face the second-in-command.

He growled and said, "Com'mer you…"

Lancelot backed up a few steps and laughed with the others as Bors fell face first onto the ground.

"What happened this time?" asked Arthur with Excalibur in his hand.

Dagonet replied, "Bors just had a little accident that's all. He tripped over himself thinking of Vanora's beauty."

Arthur smiled and slapped Lancelot on the shoulder. Lancelot nodded and the two got into their defensive and offensive stances. The other Knights moved out of the ring as Tristan raised a hand and dropped it. Immediately the two started to circle one another. Lancelot swung with his right blade and Arthur met it evenly. When their swords glanced off one another they sparkled like stars. Lancelot twirled and slammed both swords in Arthur's direction as Excalibur ably blocked both swings. They parted and circled again.

Sarmatia, Athena, Areia, Romana, and Theaia were covered in cloaks and riding hard upon their pureblood warhorses. Sarmatia raised a hand and pointed west. There in the distance was a growing column of black smoke. Ameiya screeched and landed on Theaia's gloved hand. In the hawks talon was a bloody hay-stuffed doll. In the other, was an arrowhead made of iron.

Areia growled out, "Saxons!"

Romana's eyebrows furrowed as she said, "But Saxons are from the far North and across the sea. They cannot be here. They wouldn't leave so much unclaimed land between here and there. Besides, this is the Southern route!"

Athena looked at the group with her warm brown eyes and said, "They mean to take all of Briton. They will head for Hadrian's Wall once word gets to their leader that Arthur is there. We must move faster!"

Sarmatia looked around and nodded. Already she could see the terrible wounds the Saxons were ecstatically making in the Briton's green body and hated it.

"Let's go! Double time!"

"EEHHHHH YAAAAAAAA!" cried out five voices as they pushed their horses to their limits. If Saxons were already on land on the southern side, more were sure to follow on the northern side.

Lancelot sighed, it was mid morning of the day their female allies were to show up- so far, nothing. He let his mind travel back two days earlier when he and Arthur had their first spar in almost two months. It had been exhilarating. Only Arthur could give him a proper spar because he was Arthur's number one Knight. He was the second in command because his skills were second only to Arthur's. The other Knights had better skills in certain areas like (Tristan) knife throwing, but in pure hand-to-hand combat, he was the best of the Knights. Their spar had ended with him disarmed and Excalibur ready to pierce his throat. He smirked, Arthur had been breathing extra hard at the end to. As a matter of fact, he had been too. It was getting harder and harder to think up strategies to use against Arthur because they were so close and had fought together for so long. Not that he minded, it just made for some predicable yet interesting spars. Then yesterday, they received a letter from Rome and the Pope himself. He snorted, the Pope wrote to tell them he was sorry to see such fine, honorable, and brave Knights leave the Roman service and that Bishop Germanius would be arriving in less than a week to give them their discharge papers. So that left them with today. All the Knights had woken up especially early hoping to meet these female warriors, but so far nothing. He sighed and came back to himself. Suddenly the warning horn blew across the fort. Startled and cursing himself for being startled, he peered into the distance and could see a wash of colors riding hard towards them.

"Send for Arthur!" he shouted to one of the Roman soldiers. The closest one to him jumped to obey. It still amused him even to this day how the soldiers of Rome jumped to obey his every command just because he was Arthur's second. He turned back to the grasslands and blinked. They must have been riding as fast as their steeds could take them, because they were very close now. So close that he could tell that there were five of them. Plus, in the very center of the five rode the woman of his dreams-the curly black hared violet-eyed goddess from above.

When Arthur arrived with the other Knights, Galahad whooped and said, "We are right! And they are here! Hey! There's that fiery red head from my dream!"

Gawain snorted and said as he flicked his clothes unconcernedly, "Calm down you horny little toad! When they get here you can slobber all you want on her…just not ON ME!"

Galahad glared evilly at him. Before he could say anything, Dagonet and Tristan got in between them and pointed. Galahad blinked. Tristan and Dagonet, the two Knights who hardly ever showed emotion, were staring open mouthed in awe. Galahad turned around and felt his own mouth drop. He quickly looked around and saw the Roman soldiers cheering and Gawain and Lancelot wore big grins. He could understand that, he felt like wearing a big grin too.

He turned back when he heard Arthur ask, "What are you doing? Put your clothes back on!"

Lancelot felt excitement course through him as his dream girl stepped forward and said, "Artorius Castus, Arthur, Commander of the Sarmatian Knights, I am High Princess Sarmatia of the Amazons. We have come to you as our Lady willed to join you in an alliance. Amazon's if you do not know, obey no man, which is not true. We obey one-just one-YOU. You are the King of Prophecy. How or why this occurs I do not know. But we, the five Princesses of the Amazon Nation, pledge our loyalty to you and yours by offering ourselves to you in our most vulnerable. Will you honor us in allegiance?"

Lancelot looked at his leader and saw him trying not to stare. Lancelot smirked, he saw no reason not to. This was apart of their ceremonies. Arthur most likely didn't know this though.

He leaned closer to Arthur and said, "Accept and look my brother. This is apart of their ceremony. If you do not, you dishonor them and they will think you a normal man. One who is not strong enough to lead them."

Arthur stared at his lieutenant and nodded.

He steeled himself, looked each lady in the eye and said loudly, "In return for My Ladies names, I accept your allegiance Princesses of the Amazon Nations!"

The woman with long raven black curly hair and vibrant violet eyes stood tall and said as she placed her cloak back on, "I am Sarmatia, named for the fierce Sarmatian Knights years past!"

The woman on her right with long straight blond hair and calm brown eyes put her cloak on and said, "I am Athena, named for the Goddess of Battle Arts and Knowledge, Athena!"

The woman on her left with striking red hair and snapping sapphire eyes stood tall and as she put her cloak back on said proudly, "I am Areia, named for the God of War, Ares!"

The woman on the far right with wavy blond hair and amber eyes placed her cloak on and said normally, "I am Romana, named for the strong Roman Empire!"

The last woman on the far left with dirty blond curly hair and hazel eyes stood up, put her cloak on, raised her arm and as a hawk landed, said drolly, "I am Theaia, named for the Theaians of the South! And this, is Ameiya, my hawk."

Arthur nodded and said, "Welcome! Let them in!"

The Roman soldiers were standing proud as the women came in. They started to cheer again when Romana rode in on her horse. She simply stared at them with an _Are-you-kidding_ look.

When both groups met in the center of the Fort, Sarmatia wasted no time and announced, "Saxons are coming from the North and the South, they are here to take Briton."

The Knights immediately halted their pleasurable thoughts and manhandled them into the back of their minds as their Knighthood bearings returned to them.

Arthur's welcoming face turned brooding and serious as he asked, "How far are they?"

Areia answered respectfully, "They are numbering 100 from the south and will be here in a day plus however many there are to the north."


	4. Chapter 4

Galahad removed his eyes from Areia and asked, "How is it that they have arrived, and yet we've received no word from other sentry posts?"

Lancelot sighed and said, "Saxons only take what they kill…"

Gawain finished sadly, "…and they only kill everything."

Athena smiled softly and pulled something out of her saddlebag. With a sigh she turned to Arthur and wordlessly handed it to him. Arthur looked down and swore loudly. The other Knights spared him a short shocked look before they too looked at the object in their commander's hand. It was a blood stained doll and an arrowhead.

"So it is true! Saxons!" roared Bors as Dagonet turned to the other blond and asked, "You said they will be here tomorrow?"

Romana felt warmth spread through her and replied, "They will be here. They bring weapons of considerable range-not bows, but something else. We did not get a good look at them because we were rushed for time. From what we did get, they can pierce even the strongest armor from far way…and it is not armor piercing bows either. It is different."

Dagonet returned her stare and jolted back to the present when Bors elbowed him and sent him a familiar smirk.

Arthur said, "Come, let us let our knew allies change while we ready the Council Room. Will you Ladies be requiring anything?"

Sarmatia smiled slightly and said, "Just a room to clean up, change, and rest for an hour. If this is all right with you, My King?"

Arthur visibly startled at the title, but remained remarkably calm and said, "No My Lady, that is fine. I shall have the Knights come for you in an hours time."

The Princesses bowed and with a wave from Arthur another man appeared and said, "This way Your Highnesses, you're rooms are this way."

Lancelot glanced at his friend and frowned. This was not something Arthur needed right now. They were finally near their service's end, to their freedom, and yet the Fate's deemed it fun to plague them with more problems. Arthur's eyes were already starting to close up again and he hated that. He could hardly see anything in them when he did this. It made him feel like he had failed at being Arthur's second. It was his job to make sure Arthur was well. It fell to him to make sure Arthur didn't push himself to far or make hasty decisions. It was also his job to watch him during battle. If he fell, it was Lancelot's job to be there to pick up the fight so Arthur would live. He took his job seriously because he loved Arthur as a brother. He wanted nothing more than for Arthur to gain his freedom and peace. And if that peace lay in Rome, in his fantasy Rome, he would make sure Arthur lived to see it. He would also be there when the world crashed around him, and he realized that the Rome he fought for didn't exist.

"Arthur, the Wall's security must be raised immediately. We must recall all the Roman soldiers in the outlaying villages back to the fort. We'll need all the men we can get. We are only twenty here if you count the Amazon Princesses. Plus, we will have to make sure that the Woads do not take advantage of this and attack above the wall while we are busy defending against the Saxons."

Arthur looked at his First Knight and said, "I know this Lancelot. I will send Jols and three others to the closest villages to spread the word. They should all be back by nightfall, if they are not already dead. Lancelot, I need you to organize the Roman sentries along the wall and have the Knight posted at every gate and main hole. I shall be looking over the maps of this place and set up some parameters so we will have an on-going guard. Tristan, I need you to go out. Find out more about them and where they are if you can."

The silent Knight nodded and turned to leave.

Before he left, a female voice said, "I'll go with you."

Startled the Knights and Arthur turned around and saw Theaia standing in the shadows with Ameiya on her arm. Her dirty blond curly hair was pulled into a spiraling twist down her back and her hazel eyes twinkled brightly in the candlelight. Arthur looked at her and nodded to himself. She had a light about her he had only seen in Tristan. She was a scout-a good one. She could assist Tristan since she knew where they were and what they were looking for. The new armor piercing weapons worried him-greatly.

Tristan could help but let his eyes roam over her appreciatively. He may not show it, but he was a man with emotions and lusts. When he gazed upon her earlier, he was instantly attracted to her. Her eyes seemed to drag him inside her and made him want other parts of him inside her too. He was also impressed by her skills. He was the best tracker in these lands, and she snuck up on even him! That was worthy of his respect. He stared into her eyes and nodded.

Arthur nodded and said, "Very well, then. Are you sure you do not want to rest?"

Theaia shook her head and said, "No, I do not need the rest. I am used to such hours and activities. My sisters are not truly resting either. They are just being nice and waiting for you to call upon them."

Lancelot looked her up and down and asked skeptically, "You are to wear that?"

She looked down and shrugged. It was her normal tracking clothes. A simple black knee length skirt, black shin length boots, a black leather halter-top, and her blond hair covered in a black scarf.

Lancelot nodded back in understanding. She was more like Tristan than they originally thought.

The next instant the two trackers were gone. Arthur shook himself out of his thoughts on the two and summoned Jols. With this done, he sighed and exited the War Room without looking at the other knights. Lancelot sighed and followed him. Call it a gut instinct, but he knew Arthur was in turmoil and he was needed. He only wished his friend would open up more.

In their rooms, all but Theaia were sitting on their beds looking around their rooms in awe. This was certainly very different from their tents in the forests.

While staring up into the ceiling, Sarmatia sighed and rolled over. Before her was a large mirror and she sighed again at what she saw. Her pale body was a shimmering white that caused her vivid violet eyes to stand out strikingly. Her body was prim and pert and she had felt a fire like no other burn in her belly when she felt the curly black-hared Knight stare at her. She found it interesting that he knew of their customs-at least some of them. She wanted to know more about how he knew about Amazons. Perhaps, she should go and talk to him? She glanced out the window. No, she's wait. She only had ten more minutes before one of the Knights was to escort her to the War Room. Hopefully, it would be that man from her dreams. The one her Lady told her about-Lancelot.

She once again glanced in the mirror but stood tall this time. She was the High Princess of the Amazons! She should **NOT** be feeling like this about a man, but he was a very gorgeous man. Plus, to her slight excitement, he knew it too. She had a feeling that talking to him would be an experience all its own. Her violet skirt was to her knees, and a white halter-top covered her chest. Her curly raven hair was still down and her feet were bare. She smiled. She'd get to talk to him. She only had to wait.

Athena was bored. She never liked resting. It always made her restless. She was a wandering spirit. Her people called her the _Roaming Princess of Light_ because of her restlessness. She was proud of this title too. Since she hated to stay put, especially in a new place, she quickly exited her room and unexpectedly ran into the blond hared man from before.

"Come Princess Athena, Arthur is waiting for us in the War Room."

"Very well then, what is your name Knight? I do believe you and the others never told us."

The man's eyes widen in shock as he hastily exclaimed, "My apologies, My Lady! We are usually never so remiss about that! I am Sir Gawain of the Sarmatian Knights. Tell me, are all your daughters named for strong groups of people or Gods?"

Athena smiled and said, "Yes, we are. It gives us pride to be connected to them so. What of you Sir Gawain, what or who were you named for?"

Gawain shrugged and said as they entered, "I do not know. All I know is that my uncle named me and he's a crazy one-he is."

Athena laughed slightly but returned to her calming persona as they seated themselves at the Round Table and waited for the others to arrive.

Sarmatia blinked when she registered a strange knocking sound at her door. While she didn't fall asleep, she had certainly let herself fall into a dull lull.

"Lady Sarmatia, are you awake? It is Lancelot. I've been told to escort you to the War Room."

Sarmatia smiled. It was the Knight she was interested in. She felt a fire burning in her loins. He was using a deep sultry voice that sent shivers through her. She knew she should be wary of him and alarmed at her bodies reactions to his voice alone, but something or SOMEONE, like her Lady maybe, was making sure she felt nothing but serenity in his presence.

As she opened the door, she smiled coyly and said, "Well then, Sir Lancelot, perhaps you should lead me to this room. I'm sure I'd be terrible lost without you."

Lancelot grinned largely at her. Not only was she the woman of his dreams, but also she was flirting with him! This was his lucky day! Even if the Saxons were right at their door, if he could bed her soon, he'd definitely die a happy man! He held out an arm to her and started to whisper in his ear. She giggled. When they arrived, both turned serious and sat down next to Arthur. Arthur nodded at them and felt his lips twitch. They were perfect for each other it seemed. She even welcomed Lancelot's flirty advances.

He still could not believe that the Saxons were attacking so close to his Knights final day of freedom. He **MUST** find a way to finish them off quickly so none of his men, his brother-in-arms, and **FRIENDS **died. He'd never forgive himself if they did when their freedom was so close to being achieved.

Galahad was pacing back and forth across the hall in front of his dream girl's room. He was so nervous! He very much wished to be Lancelot at this moment. He was positive that the First Knight would have some sort of suave words to bring this hellion over to his bed easily enough and still have his manhood intact! Galahad wasn't so lucky. He constantly stumbled over his own two feet when it came to women. Plus, he **REALLY** liked this one! She started a passionate fire in him that he couldn't ignore. He hoped he didn't ruin this.

Just as he was about to knock he heard an annoyed voice say, "Just knock already!"

Before he could gulp it seemed, those amazing sapphire orbs were flashing at him. Galahad gulped and tried to remove his gaze from those alluring sapphire eyes. He couldn't. He was enamored already.

Her eyebrow rose, and she snorted. He was deaf and dumb to the world already. This kid REALLY needed to get some confidence. Her frown thinned and turned into a slight smile. She would help him. She snorted quietly again. Amazon she maybe, but she wasn't stupid. This lad was beautiful and he liked her. Plus, she hadn't had a good romp in the bed for three months. Anyways, her sisters were getting tired of her being such a bitch. While she got what she wanted from him, she'd help him too; A win-win situation. She loved those!

Romana found the tallest Knight sharpening his axe. She said nothing, sat down beside him, and watched him work. He glanced at her every now and then and said nothing. That was fine. She could understand where he was coming from. She didn't begrudge him if he was suspicious of her. They were after all Amazons. Legends had spread far and wide about them, and none of them were very flattering. But still, she was happy that he was allowing her to be so close. She felt a connection to this silent one. She wanted to find out what kind of bond it was.

With that decided, she asked, "Dagonet, what will you do when you are free?"

He turned back to her and simply stared.

Romana bit her lip; Of course, stupid question. He'd probably go home to Sarmatia, marry a woman, and have strong lads. After fifteen years of fighting almost none stop, watching friends and brothers die, and fighting for a cause not his own, she's be the same way. She silently placed a hand on his knee and looked deep into his eyes. She smiled at him and nodded to show she understood. His eyes showed some surprise, but they mostly showed gratitude. He liked her, she could tell. But he was still hesitant. She would have to prove herself to him to gain his full trust. All the Amazons would. It didn't matter in any case; by tomorrow night she'd prove herself to him and much, much more.


	5. Chapter 5

When they had all gathered in the Round Table room, Arthur asked, "You said there was about one hundred Saxons here, correct?"

Sarmatia nodded and replied, "Yes, one hundred Saxons come up from the south. We do not know how many come from the north, but we're positive they will be here or are already here."

Lancelot cast a worried eye upon his commander and friend and sighed.

He glanced around and said, "You do realize, that even with the Roman soldiers here to protect the fort, we'll only be seventy strong with the Princesses here aiding us. While it isn't impossible odds to defeat, it will make things very difficult."

Romana nodded and said, "So, we need to fight smart. What can we use to change things into our favor?"

Dagonet's eyes stared into the open as he said slowly as if he wasn't sure if his idea would be taken well or not, "We could rig the bows to shoot when the Saxons reach a certain distance from the fort from all around the area. It'll take a bit of ingenuity, but it could work, I think."

Athena tilted her head and said, "I can work on that with Areia. We attempted something like this once before and it worked rather well. How many soldiers do you employ to protect this place adequately?"

Arthur squinted his eyes and answered, "Thirty."

Sarmatia nodded and said, "Then, we'll get to work weaving the correct number and lengths for this attempt. If you'll excuse us?"

Arthur glanced at them in shock as the women stood, bowed, and left.

Gawain asked the remaining Amazon, "What are they doing?"

Romana shook her head and replied, "They are going to create the ropes needs to rig the bows to shoot by themselves. It'll take most of the day."

The others nodded as they began to discuss in depth the needed changes to security that would needed to be implemented.

When they came to a break, Lancelot left and tried to find the three women. To his utmost surprise and happiness, he found Sarmatia quite easily since she was standing just inside the courtyard watching three Roman soldiers training against one another.

"They aren't very impressive are they?" he asked to announce himself.

"No, they won't survive the Saxons if they continue to fight like this. But, I'm sure you are just a bit biased. You are after all one of the famed Sarmatian Knights."

Lancelot grinned proudly and stated, "Well, be that as it may, they are still horrible. But, I think they are still awed by your entrance today."

She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and asked curiously, "How do you know of our culture?"

Lancelot rubbed the back of his head and winced. Sarmatia watched in bemusement as his eyes jumped around warily as if searching for someone only he could see.

He replied, "My maternal grandmother was an Amazon who loved telling stories to me and my little sister, Habren. When my grandfather defeated her during a battle, he didn't kill her. Instead, he had earned her admiration and she had earned his respect. They were both in their older years and decided that the other would do for a mate and got married. They had my mother and taught her how to fight like a true Amazon. When mother birthed my sister and I, she began to train us earnestly alongside my father. It has been an awful long time since I've heard anything vaguely connected to the tribe. I must have danced around for hours after I received the dream about your arrival…"

"A dream!" she exclaimed shocked.

Lancelot nodded and replied, "Yes, myself and the others, not including Bors and Arthur, received dreams foretelling your arrival. You were the focus of my dreams. I still wonder about who that voice belongs to though?"

Sarmatia remained quiet but Lancelot didn't seem to mind as he continued to talk calmly about how he came to have knowledge about the Legendary Amazons.

Galahad as well, left the Round Table and headed towards the training hall. There he found Areia standing thirty paces away from three targets and in hand was a bow and arrow. She was very quickly and very accurately shooting at the target.

Galahad stepped up and said in awe, "You are a great archer! I'm one of the best we have, and yet I do not think my skills are anywhere near yours. I am in awe, Lady."

Areia glanced at him from the corner of her eye and shrugged. She pulled back her bowstring and let her arrow fly. With a twang, the arrow embedded itself in center most point of the center dot making that point completely covered in arrows.

She replied, "It is a gift that has been passed through my family line for generations. We're natural Archers. Sarmatia is a natural with double blades, Athena is a natural with double single blade axes, Romana is a natural with a large battle-axe and straight sword, and Theaia is a natural with scouting and talking to animals. I noticed your scout, Tristan, has those same skills as well. Theaia is our best fighter when it comes to battle. She's practically emotionless during that time and she seems to flitter through the enemy like a humming bird does to flowers."

Galahad raised and eyebrow at that and said dryly, "Well, don't our groups make the perfect match? Tell me, how are your skills on a horse?"

Areia turned to him, grinned, and said, "Why don't we find out?"

Gawain sighed as he left the Round Table room and entered the Tavern. He knew he should go and practice some, but he was just too tired to go out and actually work. This wasn't fair. They are supposed to be celebrating the fact that they would be free in less than a week, and here they were preparing for battle against the worst kind of enemy-Saxons. When he sat down in a stool, a jar was placed before him and he wordlessly drank from it.

He was startled when a female voice in front of him, that didn't belong to Vanora, said, "Should you be drinking this early Gawain? There is a battle before us in a few hours."

He jerked up and saw his Amazon dream girl, Athena. She was busy behind the bar cooking something that smelled marvelous.

"I will not much and it's never been a problem for us Knights to drink and become somber quickly. I think it's a part of our warrior skills…I'll be fit to fight-don't worry."

Athena turned back to him and said, "Oh, it's not that. I know you'll be ready to fight, I'm just asking because you look as bad as you feel."

He raised an eyebrow and she elaborated, "You are depressed for some reason-that much is plain to see, but drinking those problems away will not make them disappear. It'll only come back to bite you on the arse later on. So, tell me, why are you drinking at such an early hour?"

He raised an eyebrow and looked outside. The sun was low in the western sky and looked back at her. She sighed and huffed causing a stand of her blond hair to fly up and over her head.

"Okay, so maybe not so early, but come on! Most don't drink until at least dinner, so what's your problem?"

Gawain sighed and proceeded to tell her about their fifteen years of slavery to Rome and how it was to be finished in less that a week. How they had been ecstatic at the thought of finally going home to see their families again and regaining their lives. But this, the Saxons, had put a damper on their festivities. Athena never said a word of that he was grateful, but her eyebrow did rise up a few times.

When he was finished, she looked him square in the eyes and asked, "What will happen when you return home, though? You are **NOT** the same boy that was taken. Do not expect them to be the same people as you remember."

He retorted, "I'm NOT expecting them to be. But they are family."

Athena nodded and replied, "Yes, they are. But remember this Gawain, family is always connected by blood, but it is the connection of the heart that truly makes a family strong."

He glared at her and demanded, "What do you know of it!"

She returned his glared equally strong and said passionately, "I love my family with everything I am, but I would not go back to them on my life! We cannot stay in one room for more than a few minutes before we are fighting about some silly thing that turns into a large fight! My sisters, Sarmatia, Romana, Areia, and Theaia are my family of my heart…they are whom I will bleed for and live for and die for…not my mother, father, or my elder brother."

With that she spun around, slammed a plate of food down before him, and stomped out of the Tavern. Gawain blinked down at the food and silently pondered Athena's words. Would he be able to go back after all this time and live with people he hardly remembers? More importantly, could he live one day without teasing Lance or planning a prank with Gal? What of knife throwing contests with Gal and knowing almost instinctively that Tristan was always there to watch over him and the others? It had become a security almost to watch that third dagger fly past his face and embed itself in the hilt of his own over the years-it meant that Tristan was still alive and with them. Could he really turn away from Arthur and his gentle understanding of him and the other Knights? Plus, could he leave all his "nieces and nephews" behind here in Briton? Now that he was actively thinking about it, he was almost certain that he couldn't. This was the cause of his depression. He wasn't sure he could leave behind these men who had become so close to his heart and his daily life. The Knights were closer to him then he had been with his blood brothers. With a sigh, he settled down and began to **REALLY** think about his future.

Tristan and Theaia were calmly trotting through the forest, when she suddenly stopped and became eerily silent. Tristan pulled up to her and waited patiently for her to reveal what she found. He was curious to see what she found but he had missed. Most would think that he was mad at her for finding something and he didn't. On the contrary though, he was impressed, so he waited.

"There are voices dancing in the east wind. They are right of us. We must go through the trees. We'll tether the horses here and make our way on foot into the camp, okay?"

Tristan just dismounted and looked to her. Now that he knew what to look for through the trees, he could also see where some men had skillfully entered the forest. He berated himself silently as he followed the Amazon. He had tracked Woads through these very forests for fifteen years, and was so used to them being there that he almost disregarded others using the tactics. This was not good. Saxons are supposed to be brute strength and had no use for stealth. If the Saxons were using new techniques, this battle would more than likely get even harder to win.


	6. Chapter 6

Amazonian Support 6

Lancelot looked to the sky and said as he stood up, "The day grows darker and I still have to speak with Arthur. When we celebrate our victory, would you do me the honor of your company tonight?"

Sarmatia gave him a sly look from her violet orbs and said with an over exaggerated sigh, "If I must!"

Lancelot chuckled, placed a small kiss on her cheek, next to her lips, and left.

When he found Arthur, he sighed. That bloody man was one again bent over his maps and rubbing his eyes.

"You know, you'll ruin your eyes that way."

Arthur sighed, sat down in his large chair warily, and said as he rubbed in between his eyes, "Yes, I know. You only tell me every other night."

Lancelot crossed his arms and said teasingly, "You should take my advice then. I am hardly every wrong."

Arthur barked a laugh at that. There were a great many times he could remember right off the bat when his second was wrong about something. Lancelot's brown-black eyes twinkled at him. That blasted man! He did that on purpose!

"Arthur, what are we going to do? Even if this device of the Princesses work, we still have the larger Saxon army approaching from the north. I do not mean to sound harsh but we are leaving this land in a few days. When the time comes, we will not be here to protect Hadrian's Wall. What will happen to all those that live here?"

Arthur sighed and said warily, "I do not know. I struggled with this too just a while ago. I tried to think of something else like…"

"Like what, battle plans! Arthur, you as well as I know that such things are a waste of time, and yet you continue to do so. We can only plan for so much. In battle, things change. You must stop putting all this pressure upon your shoulders. You will collapse from the load if you do not share the blame. I am just as much apart of the planning as you are, and yet you do not let me take my part of the blame. I am not without fault. You know this best of all. Please Arthur, as your second, as your best friend, nay as your brother, let me take some of your pain." Pleaded Lancelot earnestly as he placed his hands upon his brother's broad shoulders.

Arthur sighed and said, "Come, we will discuss this later. The ladies, I'm told, have finished their little project."

Lancelot sighed but followed his friend and captain loyally.

As the twelve fighters converged in the courtyard, they saw the wandering Roman troops entering through Hadrian's Wall.

They paused at seeing the unfamiliar, beautiful women, but quickly moved on as those very same women eyed them dangerously. Arthur nodded in approval of the Roman's actions. He knew his Knights were already taken in by the Amazon Princesses, and he didn't want to get in the middle of a fight concerning which man got to bed the women.

When the last Roman soldier came through the large wooden gate, Arthur started, "You have been called back from leave because a group of one hundred Saxons are marching upon us from the south. We received this warning from our newest allies, the Amazon Princesses! I want all of you armed and ready within the hour. The Saxons should be arriving within two! When our scouts return, we shall know more and I shall explain our battle strategy to you then. I expect each and everyone of you to be ready for battle within thirty minutes, understood!"

Each Roman soldier placed their fisted right hand over their heart, and bowed. When Arthur dismissed them, the soldiers ran to their chambers to ready for battle.

Sarmatia nodded in approval and said, "They follow you well, but many will die in this battle, my King."

Arthur glanced at her, still a bit unnerved with her usage of the title _'My King'_, and asked, "How is that?"

She gave him the full power of her vibrant violet eyes and said strongly, "I was watching three of them earlier with Lancelot. They are good, don't get me wrong, but they will not last long against the horrors that is the Saxon army. The Saxons are large and carry with them brute strength. While they do not use armor, their blows are powerful enough to damage your soldier's armors. Plus, they depend too much on their armor. I witnessed all three of your footmen, let five powerful strokes hit their armors, when they could have just as easily sidestepped, attacked, and won the scrimmage battle. They do not account for their weaknesses because they do not think they have any. This is something that needs to be discussed with them."

As Arthur opened his mouth, Sarmatia added, "I can almost guarantee that 25 of them will die or be wounded when this battle is finished."

Arthur made to argue, but closed his mouth and sighed. She was right of course. He knew it too. He had even been talking to his Roman Legionar captains about the soldiers and their dependency on their armors, but the captains wouldn't hear of it. One even had the gall to tell him straight out, '_Our army is the greatest in the world! Our armor is the toughest ever created. I think you've spent too much time with those Sarmatian conscripts, Artorius. It has made you weak and disgusting!'_

Arthur smirked. It was good to be Commander. He sent his captain to the boot barracks, and that same captain was still there working on fixing all the broken down and beaten leather boots that his fellow countrymen had discarded.

He nodded and said, "Yes, unfortunately this is true. It saddens me to say this but, my fellow Romans have grown too complacent with the Empire's power in this world. They do not think that anything can bring them harm. It is this arrogance that will be the Empire's undoing. And I have tried to talk to the captain's about this, but nothing short of a direct order will change things. Unfortunately, while I can order them to change, I cannot make their ways of thought change. They will continue to think as they do until they find proof otherwise."

The group grew silent. Even the Knights felt bad for their fellow Roman soldiers-just a little. While many of the Roman officers were evil men and bad to interact with because of their arrogance, some of the lowly foot soldiers were actually all right to be around. Some of them the Knights could actually claim to have some warm feelings for.

Arthur continued, "Well, enough of this, tell us about these rigs you've created."

Sarmatia looked at the Knights and started, "Well, for every one man needed to protect the wall, two bows are needed. We've gathered over sixty bows and connected them with over one thousand feet of rope that span the entire wall."

Areia interrupted, "We've placed the bows in a standard standing position using some grain bags we found in a storage room. Each arrow has already been placed into the bowstring and pulled back into firing position. With some twine, we have connected the arrows tail to a firing mechanism that is also connected to a lever and pulley system. When the Saxons reach a specific area, marked by bright white marble stones, the string will be pulled by the men closest to it, therefore, firing the arrows. When the first set of arrows are released, the Saxons will go under their shields for cover. When they do that, the second group on the east wall will release their arrows. If by some miracle, the Saxons have some intelligence and go to cover their northern side, we think it would be best for the west wall to release their arrow barrage, followed lastly by the north side."

Romana ended, "If this is successful, we should either wound or kill a minimal of thirty Saxons and a maximum of sixty. More than likely, we should hurt or kill no more than forty-five though."

Sarmatia looked to her king and asked, "Is this to your liking? Or should be change things up a bit?"

Arthur and Lancelot shared a look. This was even more than they could have hoped for! If the women's plans went as they strategize it, their losses from battle would be next to non-existent! But, there were the new weapons to worry about.

Just then Tristan and Theaia rode into the Wall and dismounted. Both of them looked grave. Tristan was also pulling a large wooden object that looked very dangerous.

"Tristan, what do you have to report?" asked Arthur worried.

Tristan looked at his commander and said blandly, "They have no more than one hundred men like the Princesses told, but they have ten of these armor piercing weapons, not including this one. Lady Theaia and I had to kill nearly ten of the Saxons just to claim this one. We were lucky that the ten men assigned to this weapon were isolated from the rest of the army or we would not have this to study from. They are also using tactics used by the Woads. They are hiding themselves within the forest and not coming through the towns and main roads. If it weren't for Lady Theaia, I would have overlooked them simply because I was looking for them on the roads. I did not think to look for them in the forest."

Arthur and Lancelot both gained worried looks. This wasn't good. Saxons were actually using smart battle tactics…they needed to look the weapon over quickly.

Arthur cleared his throat and said, "Okay, this is the plan. I want Sarmatia and Lancelot to study the weapon. I'll have Jols bring you both your battle armor. I want Areia and Galahad to debrief Theaia and Tristan on the battle plans, and I want the others to join me with the courtyard with the other Roman soldier when you have readied yourself for battle. Is this clear?"

Everyone nodded in compliance as the two curly raven hared warriors moved to inspect the Saxon's weapon closer.

When the courtyard was empty, Sarmatia said, "He is a good leader, no."

Already knowing whom she was talking about, Lancelot nodded distractedly and said, "Yes, he is. Arthur is one of the best men I have ever known."

"Even greater than your father?"

Lancelot snorted and said, "I can barely remember what he looks like let alone how he acted, but yes. If I had to rank him against my father, I'd say he falls very short of the mark."

"But why?" asked the High Princess of the Amazons curiously.

Lancelot sighed and said, "My father, from what I do remember, he was a very stubborn man. Whatever he thought must be the right of it, and if you were to tell him wrong, he hit you. Don't get me wrong, he was a gentle man to my family and I, but he was a right devil to others. If someone disagreed with them, he'd do everything he could to eh…persuade them to his point of view. I remember a friend of mine, his father disagreed with my father, and the next day, my friend's father was black and blue and dying from infection. My friend never spoke to me again, which wasn't very long since the Romans arrived two days later and I was brought here against my will. I loved my father, and perhaps I still do, but I know this for certain-Arthur is the best man that I know. He maybe only a year and a half older than I, but he guided me to be the man who I am today-not my father."

Sarmatia looked up from her scrutinizing, smiled, and said, "That's good. I also agree with you. Arthur is one mad that we Amazons will willingly follow to the death. As a matter of fact, our entire population-all ten tribes, comprising of two hundred men, women, and children each-will be joining us within the week. I know, your freedom is to be soon, but this place and its people need to be protected. I know this is Arthur's wish, so we will stay and help fight off the main Saxon army."

Lancelot stared at her for a good long while with his mouth open. He couldn't believe it! This woman, who had no allegiance to Briton or them, was willing to stay and fight a battle that they themselves were thinking of abandoning! She truly was a dream-come-true!

She straightened out as Jols arrived with a wooden carriage. Inside the wagon was there battle armor.

"Here you go Lancelot, Princess Sarmatia." Exclaimed the squire softly as he stopped the wagon just before them.

Lancelot smiled at the squire and said thankfully, "Thank you Jols. Go tend to Arthur. We can handle armoring ourselves."

The short slightly overweight squire nodded and rushed back inside the fort.

The two glanced at one another and Sarmatia said, "I'll help you prepare since my armor is more light weight and I have less of it to put on. While we do this, we can discuss what we've both learned from this weapon, agreed?"

Lancelot nodded and said, "Agreed."

As she helped him to put on his shin guards, Sarmatian started, "I saw that there is no permanent metal workings. This means that this weapon is probably a prototype and this is likely to be a test run. But they must need real world testing to see how effective they are in battle environments."

Lancelot grinned and said, "I agree. Did you also see that there were no locking devices? That probably means that they are meant to be used only once, maybe twice, before they become useless."

The violet-eyed princess nodded and said, "Yes, and there are only two arrow-lances on it. That also supports your theory about how many times it can be used."

Lancelot grimaced as she helped him to put on his chest plates and said sarcastically, "Arrow-lances, this will be fun."

Sarmatia bopped him on the head lightly with his helmet and said in a fake scolding tone, "Don't you take that tone with me mister! These lances are dangerous. We need to be fully aware of them, or the consequences could be dire."

He stuck out his tongue and was surprised when she winked at him and kissed him tongue and all. He moaned in approval as her tongue rubbed his, but groaned when Galahad and Areia appeared. They were fighting about something and Galahad looked like his was clueless as to just **WHAT** they were fighting about.

Sarmatia giggled and said scolding, "Have you confused the poor, lad Areia?"

The red-hared blue-eyed beauty smirked and said, "I just told him that _all the world's a stage and he's got to find his role._"

Galahad protested heatedly, "But that off-handed comment was after you invited me into your room and kissed me!"

Lancelot groaned and said, "Galahad, you louse, just think about it for a minute and don't let your temper impede on what little brain power you have!"

Galahad glared at the second-n-command and crossed his arms. He would have said something too, but Arthur and the others had arrived.

Arthur watched as Lancelot helped Sarmatia into the last of her battle gear, and asked, "Well?"

The two shared a look-it didn't look good to Arthur one bit.

Here you go, Saxonlover! I hope you like it! 

Those of you, who want another chapter in The Sun and Moon of House Lyon, just be patient. I still have to think up a suitable punishment for Lancelot. It'll be posted either tomorrow night or Saturday-PROMISE!


	7. Chapter 7

Amazonian Support 7

Lancelot stood straight and reported, "Well, the good news is that these can only be used, at most, two to three times. Now, this is just a guess using the one Tristan and Theaia brought to us. But, with the other ten or so, this battle needs to be finished quickly, or we'll be ducking for cover and that might give them the advantage to enter the fort."

Sarmatia added, "The best thing we can do, is take out as many as we can with the arrows and then aim for the arrow-lances. They should be the next targets after the Saxons soldiers themselves. That means…"

Areia ended, "Some of us will need to leave the fort and take out the arrow-lances within the enemy lines."

Sarmatia nodded and looked at Arthur. He looked to be deep in thought as the other soldiers quickly filled up the courtyard.

Arthur nodded to himself and said, "Here's what we'll do, I want Tristan and Theaia to go with Lancelot and Sarmatia behind Saxon lines and take care of the arrow-lances. Galahad and Areia will be on the battlements to monitor the use of the weapon the Princesses created, and the rest of us will be in the courtyard fighting hand-to-hand. Understood?"

Lancelot's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to protest, "But Arthur…!"

Arthur gazed upon his best friend and second-n-command in understanding and said as he placed his hand on Lancelot's armored shoulder, "Think of it this way, my brother, you will be protecting me from those arrow-lances while you trust the others to watch my back. I will not die in this battle, I promise you this."

Lancelot's shoulders drooped, but he nodded and said, "Then, let's leave and hide ourselves in the forest. We'll come upon them while they are arriving and surprise them, then."

Sarmatia nodded and the two scouts said nothing but mounted their horses again and looked to their leaders. Lancelot smiled sardonically and mounted his own horse as Sarmatia did her own.

Arthur called out, "Watch your own back Lancelot! I won't be there protecting yours!"

Lancelot pulled his horse to a stop, reared up, and placed his hand in the air to show Arthur, his friend, that he had heard the loving order. Then he rode after the other three and quickly entered the forest.

As the dismounted their horses, Lancelot ordered, "Tristan, you watch for the Woads and Theaia, you look out for the Saxons. Sarmatia and I will be setting up here and thinking of how we'll be able to do this successfully."

The two nodded and quickly but silently vanished into the foggy forest. Sarmatia shivered slightly and said, "These forests give me the creeps. Why do they have to be so…ghostly?"

Lancelot smiled dryly and said, "This is Briton, it has always been this way. And it probably always will. You get used to it after awhile."

Sarmatia eyed him and said, "I don't think I ever will."

Lancelot just shook his head and sat down and grabbed a nearby branch. He drew a circle and a square. Curiously, Sarmatia sat beside him and silently watched. After a few tries, he sighed and placed the stick down.

"What were you doing?"

He glanced at his dream-girl and answered, "I was drawing up a plan. This is the best I can think up with as little information as we have."

Sarmatia nodded in understanding and waited patiently with Lancelot for the other two.

Back inside the Milestone, Hadrian's Wall, Arthur started to pace. His Knights, the Romans, and the three other Princesses watched him silently. None of them could think of anything to say that would help their leader, and so they remained silent.

A Roman Legionar, stepped up bravely, or cowardly, and said, "Artorius, get over yourself! It's only two dumb Sarmatian conscripts and two barbarian women who think they can fight! We need you to pay attention to us! Not to them! So what if they die? We are more important!"

Arthur reared around and pulled out Excalibur in one smooth motion. He placed the sword at the Roman's neck and asked menacing, "Are you sure about that?"

The Roman gulped and backed away fearfully. As Arthur placed his sword back in it's sheath, a white light encompassed the yard.

When the group of people could see again, they saw a figure dressed in a white cloak that covered everything except for it's hand and weapon. The hand was slim and feminine. The weapon was a staff made from some sort of white material and had a wicked looking knife at the top.

Immediately the men had their weapons out and the Princesses dropped to their knees with their fisted right hand over their heart.

"Who are you?" demanded Arthur losing all patience.

The person, the woman, raised her hand and pulled her cloak hood down. A beautiful heart shaped face with navy blue eyes was revealed. The men were spellbound. The Princesses, jumped to their feet and exclaimed, "LADY!"

The woman smiled slightly and nodded. She looked to Arthur and said, "Arthur Castus, ancestrally name for the first Artorius, Lucius Artorius Castus, Commander of the Sarmatian Knight and Hadrian's Wall. I am the Guardian. I guess you would call me Jesus, if you want, but I am the guardian, the protector, of the Earth. You must calm down."

Arthur was breathing heavily at this point because of the worry he had for Tristan and Lancelot, the weight of Command, the anger at the other Romans, and now the disbelief at the woman claiming to be Jesus or God. As he took a deep breath, he asked, "Why should I?"

The woman smiled in understanding and said, "Because, the Fates are channeling their anger at me into you and others. They are playing with you. I grew tired watching the Fates destroy your life over and over again, so I intervened."

"Fates? Destroyed over and over?" asked Arthur in angered disbelief.

The woman smiled dryly and replied equally dryly, "You don't think this is the only time the Earth has been created, do you? No, this Earth has lived many lives; just as you have lived this life more than once. The Three Fates, love playing with you and your Knights most of all-you and Lancelot above all others. I got tired of watching them play with you like you were their personal play toys and sent my Amazons to help you and chance your fate."

She smiled and added to the sky loudly, "Which I can do since my best friend is CHANCE!"

The sky flashed a dull red before it turned to normal. The mortals on the Earth were shocked into submission. In fact, all the men and women were on their knees with lowered heads. This was too much for them. Arthur looked at the Lady, and asked meekly, "And what do you wish of us?"

The Lady smiled and said, "Just live Arthur. Your life will be most gay-like if you do just that. Oh, and watch over Dagonet, Lancelot, and Tristan in the following battles."

With that she vanished.

The fort was covered in silent shock. None of them could move. It was only the sound of the approaching Saxons, with their war drums, with brought them back to their present task.

Arthur took command and ordered, "Everyone to your stations!"

He looked out over the woods from the battlements, and thought fearfully as he ran down the stairs, _Lancelot, Tristan, watch yourselves. You especially Lance._

SMACK!

The Guardian winced but remained silent as the Fates dialed out their punishment upon her.

"You broke one of our **most valuable laws!** How dare you intrude upon the mortals and **talk** to them! What do you have to say for yourself, Guardian?" roared one of the Fates.

The Guardian slowly got back to her feet, and said proudly, "They are not play toys for your amusement! Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, they deserve to be masters of their own lives for once! Go play with other mortals like Sinbad or Achilles and Hector!"

She added a bit softer, "Leave these ones be! I beg you! Let them alone! Turn your attentions elsewhere!"

The Three Fates eyed her before they turned their backs on her and vanished back to their loom of Fate.

Lancelot and Sarmatia, who had been talking softly about his mother, looked up as Tristan and Theaia arrived at the same time on opposite sides of their camp. The two blinked at that and shook their heads in amazement.

"What did you find out?" asked Sarmatia.

Theaia replied, "They'll be here any minute. They are just behind me. I had to kill the three scouts because they got to close to my position."

They turned to the male scout and Tristan replied evenly, "The Woads are leaving this area. Apparently, they do not wish to fight the Saxons now."

Lancelot sighed and said, "Thank the Gods for small favors. Now, this is what we will do when they arrive."Tristan and Theaia sat down and stared down at the battle plans and listen closely.

"I want Tristan and Theaia to come in from the left and we'll come in from the right. We'll strike them hard and fast. Our targets are nothing more than the men operating the arrow-lances. We are to stay out of sight when it comes to the other Saxons. If we have to wait ten minutes to pass a group of Saxons, then that's what we'll do. Our only targets, I repeat, are the arrow-lance operators. Then we are to get our collective arses back to the Wall. Understand?"

Tristan nodded sharply and Theaia nodded serenely.

"Sarmatia, let's go." Ordered Lancelot as the Saxons quickly passed them and established themselves in front of the large Roman Wall. Sarmatia nodded and quietly followed. Tristan turned to Theaia and found her already silently walking in the direction they were ordered to go in. He smiled slightly to himself and followed her. This would be interesting to say the least.

Sorry if this seems to be taking a long time to go anywhere, but it'll pick up when the final mission for Rome starts-I PROMISE!


	8. Chapter 8

Amazonian Support 8

As Lancelot and Sarmatia hid behind a couple of large oak trees, Sarmatia asked softly, "When this is all over, what will you do?"

Lancelot looked at her in shock. It wasn't the question that shocked him, but the place she asked it. They were in the middle of a Saxon incursion, and she was talking about what the future held!

He winced as a large group of about twenty Saxons' stopped to _'take care of business'_, and said softly, "I don't really think about it."

Sarmatia scrunched up her face when a Saxon got close to her, relieved himself on a tree close by, and waited with an impatience ness that surprised her. Normally, she was a very patient and calm warrior. But with this new challenge, and her growing feelings for the First Knight of her King, she was more fidgety than normal.

When the Saxons left, dragging one of the arrow-lance-throwers with them, the two warriors removed themselves from the tree line and stealthy moved behind the first of five targets.

As he slit the throat of one Saxon, he saw from the edge of his vision Tristan and Theaia moving in on their own five targets.

Tristan was impressed. He frowned. He'd been thinking that a lot lately with the arrival of the Amazonian Princesses-especially Theaia herself. The scouting princess was silent. Even more silent than he was, and even though she was right in front of him, it seemed like she vanished from sight whenever he blinked. He knew that the two of them were to undergo a series of subterfuge battles, and although he hated killing an opponent from the rear, his friends and brothers back at the wall were counting on them all to bring down the lances as fast as possible.

As the circled the advancing army, they found themselves at the tree line very quickly and found their first targets setting up the lance. Theaia quickly put and end to their work by killing the two operators. Tristan admired her swift kills while he took out the other five Saxons that were guarding the arrow-lance.

Very quickly they moved to the arrow-lance and Theaia said softly but blandly, "We'll need to remove the lever. Without it the machine won't work."

Tristan nodded and started to help her ruin or remove the large wooden lever that engaged the slingshot ability of the weapon. It was tough since one of them was really doing the work while the other watched out for any Saxons that were to close.

When they were finished, all in all, he thought, it was a good kill. He had gotten to kill eighteen Saxons on his first run-ALONE! He smiled grimly as they silently moved closer to the second arrow-lance-thrower.

Arthur was a nervous wreck! First, the Amazons arrived and swore allegiance to him as their KING, then they brought news of the invading Saxon army in which he was now watching march closer to the Wall, next he sent his best friend out into a horrible situation without him being there to watch his back, and lastly, his whole bloody religion has just been tipped over completely!

_Why oh why couldn't I have been a bloody pacifist! Then I would be in Rome, sitting on my arse, fatter than any old Senator, but I'd be firm in my beliefs and not here fighting for my life yet AGAIN!_

As the army got closer, Arthur's gazed zoomed in on the white markers that Areia had established for this particular part of the battle.

When the first five lines passed the one hundred and fifty feet mark, he yelled, "NOW!"

Galahad, Areia, and twenty others on the wall, simultaneously pulled on the cords in their hands. Everyone watched with belated breath as the arrows sung through the air and found homes in the advancing army.

The Knights watched grimly as over half the Saxons that had been shot at went down-they were dead before they hit the ground while the other half screamed in pain and pulled the arrows out of wherever the arrows landed in them.

Arthur took a deep breath, pulled out Excalibur, raised it into that air, and shouted as he and Cagne, his warhorse, along with Bors, Dagonet, Gawain, Romana, Athena, and ten other horsed Romans rode out to meet the Saxons.

Galahad watched with a dark pride as his friends and allies met the Saxons. He could tell, even from here, that the army was surprised to be attacked so early on in the set-up of the battle. Generally, the two sides in a battle would set-up and wait for the two leaders to meet in the middle to discuss what would truly happen in the battle. Arthur didn't allow that to happen so the Saxons were caught with their breeches down-as it were and they weren't getting up anytime soon.

He pulled out his double bladed sword and said to Areia, "Shall we join in on the fun?"

His partner, the red headed, blue eyed Princess pulled out her own sword, raised it into the air, and cried out, "AIAIAIAIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

About twenty more arrows flew from behind them in response as they made their way down the battlement stairs and onto their horses. Without bothering to say anything to Jols, who had been holding their steeds, they charged right out into the middle of the battle-both were eager to join their friends and new allies-no matter what they said later on about it.

Lancelot ducked as a sword swung at his head and blocked another from an approaching Saxon. Their job had been disgustingly easy since the Saxons had not expected them to come up from behind their own lines, but he had to admit, they had their wits about them. Just after their fourth target fell, a Saxon scout saw them and sounded the alarm. After that the two of them had been swamped with Saxons from all sides. He only hoped that Sarmatia, Tristan, and Theaia were all right. He couldn't tell with the sea of red, blond, and fur all around him.

As he cut the lives of the Saxons down, he spotted a young man with blond hair that fell to his shoulders. Furs decorated his upper chest and he had a large battle axe-similar to Dagonet's- by his feet. He was also surrounded by three very large Saxons _those must be bodyguards no doubt. Meaning he's a man of importance! I'll just go and invite myself into his little meeting._

Very quickly Lancelot had his way to the small group and as he made himself known, an arrow with a red piece of string found its home in one of the bodyguard's back. With a yelp, he fell dead and revealed the archer to them all-Tristan.

Lancelot grinned cockily and said, "Well, let's get this party started! You wanted a piece of the Wall, and you're going to get it!"

He lunged at the group at the same time as Tristan. The two remained guards jumped into action by placing themselves on either side of the Saxon noble, and raising their weapons in defense.

The Saxons laughed, threw back his head, and said arrogantly, "I am Cyndryc, son of Cerdic, King of Scandinavia! You cannot kill me. You cannot even wound me! My guards Svein and Thorgils will protect me to the death! And none have bested them in all our years together!"

Lancelot's grin just got bigger as he said, "Yeah well, I'm the best swordsman this side of the Wall besides my commander, Artorius, so you might want your guards to be a bit closer to you, or else!"

Cyndryc snarled and yelled something in his native language. Lancelot and Tristan, even though they didn't speak Saxon, knew that it was an order to attack. They both readied themselves, and welcomed the large charging men into their personal fighting space.

That was when Cyndryc realized his mistake. As the two knights vanished from sight, two very beautiful beings made themselves known to him. Unfortunately, they were both armed with loaded bows and both arrow tips were targeting him.

Now, this Saxon Prince was a lover, not a fighter, and he hated bloodshed-much to his father's consternation, but he did know a thing or two about defending himself from harm and he was a genius at battle strategies, so his father grudgingly, allowed him to continue living.

But these two beauties had the advantage over him, so he smiled charmingly at them and said, "Ah, Ladies, you don't want to do that. I'm sure you don't even want to be here on this bloody field. Why don't you just put those bows down before you hurt someone?"

Sarmatia raised an amused eyebrow at his words as Theaia simply pulled back her arrow and said, "Nice try, but we're Amazons."

The two princesses only had enough time to see the Saxon's eye widen in horror before their arrows found their marks-his heart and crotch.

When the battle died down on their side, Lancelot moved to her side and said with a wince, "Must you shoot the guy so? Just a simple arrow through the heart or eye would have done the job, but through his private? What he'd say to you two?"

Before Sarmatia could answer, they heard a distant voice yelling out, "LANCELOT! TRISTAN!"

Then they heard females yelling out, "SARMATIA! THEAIA! WHERE ARE YOU!"

Sarmatia smiled and said serenely as they mounted their horses once more, "Looks like the Calvary has arrived."

Tristan and Lancelot shared a bemused look at her words and joined their new allies as they made their way back to the wall.

"ARTHUR! WE ARE ALL FINE!" shouted Lancelot once he was in hearing and seeing distance.

Arthur sighed in relief as his friends made their way through the ending one-on-one battles and he nearly jumped his friend when the First Knight's feet touched the ground.

"Arthur, what is it?" asked his friend worriedly.

Arthur sighed and ran his hand through his hair and mumbled something.

Lancelot's confused expression grew as he echoed for accuracy, "Beezus is an hurl?"

Gawain burst out laughing with Bors and Galahad as Arthur shook his head and repeated what he said softly into Lancelot's ear.

Lancelot's face grew red, like he was trying not to laugh, but he couldn't help the smile that grew on his face at his friend and commander's growing obscenities towards the church and Rome.

_FINALLY!_ He thought with a grateful look up into the heavens.


	9. Chapter 9

Amazonian Support 9

When things settled down once more, Lancelot turned to Sarmatia and raised an eyebrow. She smiled and nodded. He returned the nod and spun to Arthur, who was still standing in front of him muttering to himself about the church and how Jesus was a woman. He snorted and took a hold of his friend's armored arm. He shook his head though, he and Sarmatia had a connection that awed him and frightened him. It was somewhat creepy how she and he understood one another-almost like he and Arthur understand one another-with only small gestures.

When Arthur's green eyes met his brown ones, he said soothingly, "Arthur, why don't you and I go and talk privately. The others can handle the clean up. Sarmatia, will you join us?"

The other Knights and the Amazon Princesses turned to the three leaders of their group and each raised an eyebrow at one another. Sarmatia's lips tilted up in a small smile as she nodded and joined the two men.

As she reached Arthur's other side, for Lancelot was standing to the right of his friend and commander, she said softly, "Come, let's go to Arthur's chambers, yes? We will have the privacy needed there-right?"

Arthur nodded in a distracted motion and she raised her eyes to Lancelot. He closed his eyes, sighed sadly, and shook his head. She understood immediately. Arthur had just had his entire life uprooted and turned topsy-turvy, and he wasn't handling it very well. _This is going to be interesting._ She though with a small frown as together, she and Lancelot, escorted the Roman Commander to his chambers with his arms wrapped securely around their shoulders.

After a few minutes, Lancelot stopped the group of three in front of an oak door decorated with a sword and dragons circling around it and said, "This is it!"

He glanced down at his friend and asked calmly, "Where's the key this time Arthur?"

His friend and captain, regained some of his strength, and said as he pointed to the third dragon behind the sword, "There."

Sarmatia watched curiously as Lancelot nodded and said as he placed his hand on the aforementioned dragon carving, "Here, take him for a minute."

When he was sure that Arthur was adequately held, he pushed in the dragon carving. He smiled when he heard a female gasp. It was an awing thing to see-Arthur's door. It was even better to see people's facing when they see how it worked. Arthur's door had four engraved keys fitted into his oak door. In which each of the four keys could be alternated between them whenever Arthur chose to mix them up. It worked like an ancient Egyptian tomb, and he was still in awe of the man who created it-Uther Castus, father of Arthur. The door was created so Uthur and those he trusted fully could enter and not have to worry about thieves, murderers, and annoying servants. Arthur used it for the same reasons.

As the dragon carving moved inward, the large, **HEAVY** oak door, swung open silently to reveal the innermost core of Arthur Castus.

Sarmatia was impressed. The room was Spartan in décor, but for some reason it fit in well with Arthur's personality. While what little decorations the room held were signs of Arthur's ownership, it was the walls of the room itself that took her breath away.

The walls, while stone like all the others of the wall, were marble instead of stone granite. On the left hand side of the room, there were two doors. They were also made of oak and she figured that they led to a bathroom and a wardrobe. She didn't bother to ask since it wasn't very important anyways. Above both doors, were flying dragons dyed emerald and sapphire that looped around one another in a dance of fate or a fight to the death. They were beautiful.

The wall in front of her was blank and was partially blocked by Arthur's king-sized bed. Fortunately, the tapestries more than made up for the blankness of the walls. There were two tapestries and they framed Arthur's bed perfectly in color and size. The one on the left was of a man dressed in Roman armor and wielding a large sword masterfully. The man was also astride a pure white stallion. The second tapestry was of Arthur and he too was dressed in Roman regalia, wielding the sword she knew to be Excalibur, and astride his own pure white stallion. Both tapestries were made from pure imported Chinese silk-she was properly impressed. Those must have cost Arthur **A LOT** of money!

The third wall had three windows cut into it and spaced equally apart on the twenty-feet long wall. The room was protected from the cool weather by colored glass that made a beautiful mosaic of colors and shapes. The first was of a morning sunrise, the second was of a man on a cross-God she supposed, and the third was of two men dressed in battle armor. She was somewhat amused to discover that one of the men looked like Arthur and the other, while his helmet was down, was recognizable because of the double bladed hilts peaking out over the man's shoulders and black cape.

As the two new friends, guided their king to his bed, Sarmatia commented, "I like the room. It fits in perfectly with what I know if Arthur."

Lancelot snorted in agreement and said, "Yes, but it's still to bloody Roman."

As the three leaders walked away, Tristan gazed about and was mildly shocked to hear Galahad take command and exclaim, "Well, you heard them, clean up duty, NOW!"

He watched curiously as Areia seemed to eye his youngest brother slyly and nod to herself about something she had been fighting with herself over.

He watched as she ran up to him lightly and whispered something in his ears. He had to chuckle a bit when Galahad's neck burned red. So, she wanted to do something naughty with Galahad-all the more power to her if she could give the pup some confidence when it concerned women.

He shrugged and said in a tone that made no promises, "I'll get started on the battlements. Those bows and ropes won't clean themselves."

Theaia raised an eyebrow and told Romana, "And I'll be in the stables cleaning the horses."

Romana rolled her eyes and nodded as Dagonet came up beside her. She gazed at him and asked softly not really expecting and answer, "Now how are we?"

Dagonet looked at her in a slightly warmer way and said gruffly, "We are allies."

She nodded.

It would have to do-for now.

As Sarmatia and Lancelot eyed one another, she sighed and said shortly, "Arthur, just because you now know God to be a woman, doesn't mean you have to rearrange your entire way of life! She's the God, the Lady, and the Goddess all in one. You can worship her as you've always done, and you don't have to worry about your _'immortal'_ soul."

Lancelot snorted as she said immortal because she had raised her hands and with the first two fingers of both hands had bent them twice in an attempt to make a point. Too bad Arthur wasn't looking at her-the entire point of her talk sailed right over his head.

Instead Arthur said, "How can I not? All my life I believe in God, now I find out that all I've been told is a lie! What else in my life is false? What else did I once deem truth but now I will see as false with my new eyes?"

Lancelot rolled his eyes heavenward and thought _and here I thought things would be easier now that he wasn't so supportive of Rome!_

He sighed and said, "Arthur, you are still the same man you were before this battle occurred. You are still Artorius Castus, Commander of Hadrian's Wall and my best friend. Does it really matter to you that God is a woman? Or is it the fact that Rome isn't what you dreamed it to be?"

Arthur glared at him and he watched his friend gnaw his teeth together in frustration. He nodded grimly and answered his own question, "You are disappointed that your dream of Rome is nothing but that-a simple dream."

Sarmatia sighed as she watched the two friends glare at one another. Arthur's glare was one of disappointment, anger, tiredness, and depression while Lancelot's glare was one of smugness, hope, cheer, and sadness. The last one shocked her, but she soon came to understand Lancelot's sadness. While he had explained to her about teasing Arthur endlessly about this faith in Rome and wanting Arthur to see the truth, he also didn't want to be the one to show Arthur the truth of this world. Lancelot didn't want to be the one to ruin Arthur's idealistic view of the world. She had a suspicion that somewhere, deep inside Lancelot heart and soul; he too wanted to believe in Arthur's optimistic, peaceful, non-bloody world. So, he remained silent and allowed his friend to believe and continue of with his unerring faith.

And now, they both were hurting and neither one of them would come to an understanding with the other.

She bit her lip and said strongly, "Okay now, you two listen up! We're are going to talk this through whether you want to or not!"

As Gawain picked up a shovel that had been laying around and headed out of the fort and into the bloody lands just beyond, he tilted his head to the side and waited patiently for Athena to reach his side. He didn't understand why she was walking closely behind-especially since she's an Amazon and as everyone knows-amazons **DO NOT** put themselves in submissive places-at all.

When she reached his side, he asked, "What is wrong with you?"

Athena glared at him slightly and she asked slowly as if he were a child, "Have you thought about what I said?"

Gawain's mouth pinched together as his annoyance grew. He had always hated it when people treated him like a child when he was **ACTUALLY** a child and he especially hated it now.

He sighed and relented if only to him self _I had been acting childish before though so maybe I'd better apologize first._

He cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry about my behavior before, you were right, but it's still a hard thing to come to gripes with. And no, I've not yet decided on what to do."

Athena nodded and said as they started to dig a large enough whole to burn the dead bodies of their enemies, "I accept and I can wait for your answer."

As they dug in silence and as other Romans quickly joined them with shovels, he thought to himself with a quick glance her way _why is she so interested in my choice to stay here or go home anyways?_


	10. Chapter 10

**WARNING:** Has questionable thoughts about God and Jesus. If you are offended with such thoughts, **DO NOT READ!**

Amazonian Support 10

Lancelot rolled his eyes and said as he leaned back into his chair and placed his hands behind his head, "And how will we do that?"

He watched her roll her eyes at him and listened patiently as she continued, "The both of you must come to terms that **BOTH** of you are right and that **BOTH** of you are wrong."

Arthur looked up at his friend and the Amazon that Lancelot was enamored with and said tiredly, "It's just that, all I've ever known is my faith and now it's gone. The one thing in my life that I thought would be stable-isn't. I can't help but feel that my entire life has been nothing but a lie."

Sarmatia groaned and said again, "Arthur, nothing in your life **HAS** to change. The Lady still embodies all that you believe in, truth, justice, honor, free-will, compassion, hope, life, and love. The only real difference between her and Jesus is that she is a female and men, here of earth, created Jesus, a male God. If you really don't want to think of it like this, you can try to think about it this way, Jesus is the son of God born of a virgin mother. He was thought of as just a mortal man teaching lessons of life. When he was crucified and resurrected, the churches embolden him as immortal and it has been this doctrine ever since then. The Lady is just that, a lady of all those virtues I just said. She didn't mean to turn your life upside down Arthur. All she wanted was to make sure you and your Knights' lives change from what she has watched again and again over the course of millennia."

She sighed and continued, "Please, you mustn't think that this was a means of hurting you. You see, My Lady has been guarding this earth for countless lifetimes. She has seen you and your Knights fighting for Rome again and again. She has seen your lives and deaths again and again-over and over again. The only reason I can think of for her to talk to you is because she wants to change your destinies. Actually, that is why we were sent to you in the first place, Arthur."

Arthur raised his head from his hands where it had been hiding, and asked curiously, "What do you mean by that?"

He watched as she sighed and replied, "We had been on the main land when we received a dream from our Lady. She told us about you and the others and told us to go to you and help you with the up coming events. We followed orders from the Lady and then we met you. You know what happened after that."

_How can I believe these words from Sarmatia? I've just witnessed God! And he's a **SHE!** But, Sarmatia could be telling the truth. After all, what with the short talk the Lady and I shared, she seems like a very nice woman who believes in the same ideals as me. Perhaps…perhaps nothing truly has changed…_

Arthur sighed and said as he looked into Lancelot's eyes, "She's right, nothing has changed with my beliefs, but I want you to know that I won't be so supportive of Rome from now on."

_Great, now how do I explain to him that it's not him or his faith that I hate, but Rome and its Christian doctrine? They say their bible prohibits the killings of innocents, and yet they murder women and child daily just because they are not civilized Christians. How can I believe in Rome when their men beat and degrade their women? How can I trust in a city and religion that allows men to rape women who aren't Roman? How can I convert to a religion that speaks of peace and love between neighbors when nine times out of ten, the Romans kill all those who stand up to them in anything._

But what he didn't realize was that fact that he had been muttering loudly about all of his thoughts. Both Arthur and Sarmatia heard everything he said.

Arthur sighed, placed his hands on his First Knight's shoulders, and said as he squeezed the Knights' shoulders empathetically, "Oh Lance, why didn't you just come out and say that? I would have understood?"

Lancelot sighed, rubbed his face tiredly, and answered softly, "Arthur, I have never begrudged you for your beliefs. I, actually, admire you for them and I'm a bit jealous of you because of it too. You can believe so easily. You know that he, or she, is there instinctively. I, on the other hand, do not share your strong faith. I just can't let myself believe if I cannot see what is there right in front of me."

He sighed and ended, "I'm sorry Arthur, Sarmatia is right. We are both wrong and right at the same time. Can you forgive me?"

He smiled slightly when Sarmatia beamed at him and Arthur chuckled softly and pulled him into a strong, manly hug. He returned the hug eagerly.

Gawain sighed in relief as the last body was tossed into the death pit. As he rubbed the sweat and grim from his forehead, Athena placed a hand on his shoulder and said as added her chin on top of her hand so that her face was right next to his own, "You look tired Gawain. Would you like something nice and warm waiting for you in your chambers after you eat?"

Gawain's hazel eyes widened at her admission and a gleam of lust entered his eyes. He cleared his throat and said in a voice he hoped wouldn't reveal his eagerness, "I would like that very much, thank you."

Athena smiled at him, patted him on the shoulder gentle, and said as she dropped her shovel, "I'll get started on it right away."

As she walked away, Gawain returned to his original thoughts, and asked with a strange, questioning gleam in his eyes, "Why are you doing this for me? I thought Amazons were against this type of work…doing things for men, I mean?"

He watched as her brown eyes twinkled in the dusk light and her voice carried back to him on the wind, "I'm not your ordinary Amazon. Plus, the Princesses of the Amazons are more open-minded about our ways and beliefs. We understand that men and women need one another and as such a balance between the two genders are needed. I will do things for you because I want too-not because you order me too."

He watched with awe as she ended in a slightly darker tone, "No man orders me…only Arthur has that privilege."

He eyed her as she paused, grinned mischievously at him, and said silkily, "And…the man who beats me in battle gets the prize-me!"

She winked at him and sauntered away her hips swinging back and forth teasingly.

Galahad, Areia, Dagonet, and Romana were just finishing picking up the remaining armors and weapons that belonged to the now desecrated Saxon army when Areia eyeballed Romana and nodded at the youngest of Arthur's Knights with a wicked sweet smile. The second-n-command of the Amazons rolled her eyes and nodded.

Areia smiled, placed five Saxon swords in the pile bin and said in a whisper into Galahad's ear, "Let's get started on that promise I made lover boy!"

Dagonet cracked a smile at the softly whispered words. His smile grew just a tiny bit more when his younger friend's face, neck, and ears burned red staring from the bottom of his neck up to his ears and finished off perfectly in his pale cheeks.

Romana slide up to Dagonet and said as they, together, pushed the wagon full of weapons into the Sarmatian's armory, "So, what do you do around here for relaxation Dagonet? I'd be honored if you would be the one to escort me."

Dagonet looked at her from the corner of his eye and nodded. He wasn't sure what it was about these women, but they had quickly made a home for themselves in the hearts of the other Knight-himself included. He wasn't too happy with himself about that either. Ever since he arrived in Briton, he had purposely kept his more brazen emotions to himself and expressed them instead in the fierceness of battle.

Romana smiled lightly as they placed the wagon near the wall, exited the armory, and she said as he wrapped an arm around the gentle-giant's right arm, "So, where to first?"

Sarmatia smiled proudly at her new king and fanciful love interest. After they admitted to one another that they each felt envious and jealous of the other about their views of the world, the two men seemed to come to a level of understanding between them that was unparalleled. She was very much honored to be there and witness their bond. With a sigh of contentment, she sat back in her chair as Arthur and Lancelot laughed about an old story from their childhood together over a mug of mead.

She tilted her head and asked, "Arthur, when will you be free?"

Arthur's smile dimmed slightly but he replied, "The Bishop that brings us our discharge papers will be here soon. He'll be here within the week-just as long as the good weather holds out."

He shook his head a lightly glared as Lancelot snorted and retorted, "Yeah right! Briton has good weather! We'll be lucky to see the Bishop within **two** weeks!"

Sarmatia bit her lip and replied sadly like she was disappointed in the news, "Oh, so you all will be returning to Sarmatia then?"

Lancelot couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he thought about his family and seeing them again for the first time in over fifteen years.

He grinned happily at Sarmatia and said excitedly, "Yes, we **all** are! I can't wait to see my little sister, Habren, again."

He leaned in closer to his Amazon Princess and said in a conversationally tone-like he was discussing the weather with her or something, "Did you know that she is now twenty years old? I haven't seen her since she was **five!** I can't wait to see her again!"

Sarmatia smiled tightly and thought sadly to herself as she bit her lip in an attempt to hide her sudden jolt of pain. _I'll never see him again…he'll be leaving here soon, and I can't go with him. My duty is to the King…oh Lancelot!_


	11. Chapter 11

Amazonian Support 11

Over the course of the week, Lancelot was subjected to teasing from Arthur because unlike his usually accurate weather predictions, Briton received none of its normal rainy days and foggy nights. Also, Lancelot's behavior, as of late, was a source of endless laughter for the mature commander.

Due to his dreams concerning Sarmatia, Lancelot, who had, almost embarrassingly, seemed to have fallen in love with the High Princess, was stumbling all about like he was born with two left legs and a tongue eternally twisted.

Arthur couldn't help but laugh as he remembered the events of yesterday, _Arthur, Sarmatia, and Lancelot were out just beyond the Wall's protection when Arthur sighed, tilted, his head up to the sky, and said in satisfaction, "That's three silvers Lance. The Bishop will arrive on time."_

_Lancelot snorted in distain, but grudgingly reached into this money purse, and pulled out the agreed upon sum. Say what you will about him, but when it came right down to it-if he made a promise, vow, or bet, he fulfilled it honorably-**PERIOD**._

_Sarmatia tilted her head and said in a questioningly tone, "When did the two of you make a bet? I don't remember that in any of the conversations from earlier?"_

_Lancelot turned to her, smiled, and said, "It's something we started a long time ago as boys. When we first arrived, we'd place bets on the weather and how long it'd take certain people to travel."_

_He stood straighter and said proudly, "I usually win!"_

_Sarmatia smiled at him, winked conspiratorially at Arthur, and said coyly sly as she dragged her finger down his chest in a teasing manner, "So, this was an off day then for your bedding…ah excuse me…betting prowess?"_

_Arthur burst out laughing as Lancelot **ACTUALLY** froze and gapped widely at Sarmatia. As he tried to shake the very thought out of his mind, Lancelot took a step forward and all Arthur heard was a giant **SLAPT!** _

_Arthur blinked and stared at the scene before him. Lancelot coughed and sputtered as he growled something in his native tongue. Arthur had to choke down his giggles (yes giggles) as Lancelot spit out a mouthful of horse water and gunk-Lancelot had fallen into the outer horse trowel._

_All because the woman his First Knight was enamored with teased him! _

And true to Arthur's prediction, the Knights received their final orders to leave the fort and escort the Bishop Germanous to the wall to receive their discharge papers that very same day.

Amazingly enough, the one couple that none of them would have thought to be so close, so quickly, was in truth not Lancelot and Sarmatia-though they were very, _very_, **VERY** close-but Tristan and Theaia.

The two were like two peas in a pod, if you believed in such idioms. Not only were they both very impressive at scouting, and bird of prey lovers, but they were both crazy for one another. They could hold entire conversations with their eyes and with slight tilts of their heads.

If Sarmatia didn't know any better, she'd think that they were identical fraternal twins. What with Tristan's dark, shaggy braided brown-black hair, dark skin tone, and tattooed cheeks and Theaia's dirty-blond curly blond hair, peachy skin tone, and clear skin-they were perfectly matched physically to one another. Plus, they were complete opposites when it came to their personalities as well. Tristan was closed, silent, and kept to himself more often than not-but kept his confidence to his hawk friend, Amod. Theaia, when she wasn't out scouting, easily interacted with other people, cheery, and was very hyper-active-she was very able in keeping up with her own hawk friend, Ameiya, one the ground when Ameiya was souring and shooting through the air at high speeds.

As soon as the battle and cleanup with the Saxons was done, Tristan, who had **ACTUALLY** stayed and helped clean **ALL** of the battlements, had quite literally dragged Theaia into the training square and fought her until she collapsed in exhaustion. But the other Amazons could easily see that she wasn't mad or depressed by losing to the Sarmatian scout. In fact, she was down right thrilled.

The Knights had been shocked when Tristan grinned rakishly at them, in Lancelot's legendary fashion, and threw her over his shoulder.

When he vanished into their bedchamber hall, Gawain cleared his throat and said with a suppressed laugh, "I don't think I want to be anywhere near them when they are…active."

Galahad, who had been slowly and leisurely drinking from his mug of mead with Areia petting his neck from her place on his lap, sputtered and fell helplessly to the ground in hysterics. He was quickly halted by Areia's tongue down his throat, but he wasn't too upset by her interruption. In fact, he was gloriously happy.

Bors, with a loud belch and a vivacious laugh, pounded Lancelot on the back and chortled, "And here I thought, you and Sarmatia here would be the first ones to hit the sheets, boy!"

The Knights burst into even louder laughs as Lancelot and Sarmatia blushed vividly. Their blush deepened when Arthur nudged Lancelot, with his elbow, in the gut, which sent the normally well-balanced, charming First Knight flying straight into Sarmatia's arms.

As they crashed into one another, the weight of Lancelot's body sent them both careening to the ground.

"Oof!" they cried out.

When Lancelot got his arms under him and lifted his weight from Sarmatia's flattened body, their eyes locked.

_**Bloody HELL!** What in the Gods names am I doing! Why am I acting like some adolescent pre-pubescent, pimple-faced, **VIRGIN!** It's not like I've **NEVER** been this close to another woman before! **GODS!** What's wrong with me!...oh, her eyes are so vibrant and clear….not to mention gorgeous! _**STOP! IT!**_ You can't think like this! You are **LEAVING** in a few days! If I sleep with her, I'll be committing myself to her for the rest of my life and into the eternal beyond! Remember your lessons **BOY!** _

Lancelot scolded himself even as he continued to stare dreamily into Sarmatia's beautiful violet eyes. While he awknowledged the connection between them, he couldn't help but fear their bond as well. Very distantly, he was more than a little dismayed to realize that his conscience, which was telling him to get _his butt moving and **OFF** of Sarmatia, and to act like a gentleman_, sounded an awful lot like Arthur. But what truly made it ghastly for him was the fact that it was his Grandmother's words mixed together with Arthur's voice; the only two people to have **EVER** made him feel guilty about anything in his life!

Sarmatia bit her lip and stared passionately into Lancelot's churning, chocolate, brown-black eyes. She barely withheld the moan of desire as her hips accidentally rocked into Lancelot's as he tried to remove himself. _I shouldn't be doing this! I shouldn't be doing this! He's leaving in three days! I'm the High Princess of the Amazons! I **HAVE** to have a consort when I become queen! I can't have relations with him this week! This is my fertile week!_

As the Knights prepared to leave, Sarmatia nodded to her fellow Amazons. Although, Arthur had denied them, they were going to secretly follow him and the others and act as their backup. Arthur had said that the Bishop wouldn't like the fact that five women were going to be there to help them, the Knights, escort him back to the wall because they were women. _"After all,"_ he had said, _"Roman women **DON'T** fight. They run the home-that's all."_

The five Amazons watched with pride as their other-half, the Knights, quickly brought the fight between the Romans and the Woads to an end.

Theaia shook her head and said in a mock sad tone as she let Ameiya fly free, "Look at those sorry excuses of males! There were twenty-five of them and, granted the Woads **DID** have the advantage of coverage in the trees and slightly more numbers, but over three quarters of those ruddy Romans were dead before Tristan and the others reached the fight!"

Sarmatia sighed and nodded as she turned to Romana and asked, "Any word from the mainland Amazons?"

Romana's eyes widened as she watched Dagonet, her secret fancy, dive into the crystal clear lake taking two Woads with him, and answered professionally, "They shall be here in three months. Travel on the mainland is long and weather, raids, and other bad cases of _"Bad-Luck"_ have caused some delays. But they assured me that they are on their way."

Athena pushed a strand of hair from her face and said with a smile as Gawain threw down his battle-hand-axe and relaxed, "Lets just hope they arrive before that dream of our comes true. I don't know about your guys but, that dream the Lady sent me was frightening…I saw Gawain take a bullet arrow to the chest!"

Romana gulped and answered as the Knights gathered around Arthur and the wagon, "Dagonet was lost to a lake along with at least a hundred Saxons."

Theaia quickly masked her emotions and replied blandly, "I **REFUSE** to let Tristan die in battle."

Sarmatia nodded and said cleared in a commanding tone as Tristan rode by them with a nod and a quick smile, "Then we're in agreement…the Knights will **NOT** die this time around. We will succeed in the mission our Lady has given to us."

As Lancelot came up beside her and smiled at her in surprise and welcome, she thought as she smiled back at him with love clear in her eyes, _I won't let you die Lancelot. Even if I have to die in your place…I love you enough to die for you, my precious, First Knight…_


	12. Chapter 12

Amazonian Support 12

Scenes/scripts/lines from the movie aren't MINE!!!

Sarmatia smiled at Lancelot and Arthur, both of whom had flanked her to hear her answer, and replied, "We knew that you would be able to handle the fight, but we wanted to come just in case you were flanked from behind."

Arthur nodded and said as he tilted his head forward to Lancelot, "Good defensive tactic planning Sarmatia. Now, forgive me, but I must steal Lance, here, for a few minutes…"

Sarmatia glanced between her newest friends and giggled lightly at their silent communication. It still amazed and amused her to watch them in action. With just one glance Arthur could convey an entire thought to Lancelot in any respect be it an order, a friendly jab, or an all out angry fight. In addition, with an equally powerful look, Lancelot could respond to any and all of Arthur's silent commands. If Arthur's First Knight should disagree with any part of it, Lancelot's eyebrow would yell all that needed to be said and Arthur would respond accordingly.

She smiled sweetly and warmly at them and nickered her horse into a trot so she was ahead of the caravan, but behind Theaia and Tristan, whom Arthur had sent on ahead- to scout for any wandering Woads.

Lancelot, who had whipped away a good portion of the Woad blood from his hair and body after the battle had ended, still shifted uncomfortably as the blood he couldn't reach started to harden on his skin, and asked a little impatiently, "Well???"

Arthur cast a wary look around them and found himself extremely pleased to find out that they were relatively alone, but still asked in a soft tone, "Lancelot, I know you desire Sarmatia. Why haven't you taken her to your bed?"

Lancelot sighed and replied as he slumped into his saddle, "I desire her like nothing I have ever felt before, Arthur. When I look at her, I see endless possibilities. I see a bright future filled with love and family…"

Arthur tilted his head and asked oddly, as his friend slowed to a halt, "And what's wrong with that?"

Lancelot sighed again, racked a hand through his curly black hair, and answered tiredly, "Nothing it wrong with it Arthur, but she is the High Princess of the Amazon Nation. As such, she **MUST** be a virgin upon her wedding and coronation. In addition, the male she chooses to become intimate with will become her Amazon consort. But, he must remain by her side for the rest of his days."

He stopped for a moment to cool down from his previous rant and then continued in a softer tone, "I am **LEAVING**. Once we get those papers, the others and I will be gone-back home to Sarmatia, and you will travel back to Rome. As for Sarmatia and the other Amazons, they will return to their lands that lay just north of Sarmatia. Well, I guess Theaia will go with Tristan or he will go with her….**I**, on the other hand, **I** will go home as I promised my mother and sister all those years ago. I will not be able to be by her side if I am in Sarmatia."

Arthur nodded silently as he thought about what his beloved First Knight had said. It was sad, but true. As truth often is.

He also winced as Lancelot reminded him that, as of tomorrow, his dearly loved Knights will no longer be by his side.

After a few minutes of silence, in which both men brooded over how their lives would change once the other, was out of their lives, Lancelot sighed and giggled his horse's reigns.

Arthur watched with a heavy heart as his closest friend slowed as he reached Sarmatia's side.

As they neared the Wall, Arthur noticed that his Knights became more lively-Lancelot especially.

Galahad looked about and said, "I don't like him, the Roman. If he's here to give our discharge papers, why doesn't he just give them to us and leave?"

Gawain eyed his younger friend as if he was a simpleton and said pointedly, "Is this your happy face?"

Bors started to laugh a full belly laugh as Galahad's scorned looked calmed and his own laughter joined Bors'.

Gawain continued as they neared the Wall and his love, "Galahad, so you still not know the Romans? They won't scratch their arses without holding a ceremony."

Bors joined the conversation in his normal fashion, "If you want your discharge so badly, why don't you just kill him and discharge yourself?"

Galahad shook his head and said passionately, "I don't kill for pleasure…"

He eyed Tristan as he trotted up to them and ended pointedly, "…unlike some."

Tristan looked at him and said calmly, "Well, you might try it someday; you might get a taste for it."

Bors added in Tristan's favor, "It's a part of ya; it's in your blood."

Galahad shook his head and said in a vowing tone, "No, no, as of tomorrow, this was all just a bad memory."

Bors nodded in a mocking way of understanding and sighed, "Oh…"

Gawain tilted his head up and stated, "I've often wondered what going home would be like after all this. What will I do? It is different for Galahad. I've been in this life, longer than the other."

He sighed and said, "So much for home, it's not so clear in my memory."

Bors snorted and said, "Speak for yourself, its cold there, and everyone I know is dead and buried."

He shrugged and added, "Besides, I have, I think, a dozen children…"

Gawain interrupted with a roll of his eyes, "Eleven."

Bors eyed him sharply, pointed his finger at his younger brother, and added, "You listen, when the Romans leave, we'll have the run of this place. I'll be governor of me own village and Dagonet will be my personal guard an' royal arse kisser..."

He stood up slightly, turned around a bit, and added, "Won't ya Dag?"

Gawain smirked and said wistfully, "Well I do know that when I get home, I'm gonna find meself a beautiful Sarmatian woman to wed."

Bors glanced at him weirdly and echoed, "Beautiful Sarmatian woman…what do you think we left in the first place?"

Gawain gave a sharp bark as Bors mimicked the sound of a cow and asked, "And what of you Lancelot? What are your plans for home?"

Lancelot shrugged, glanced at Sarmatia's slightly tilted form, and answered with a carefully hidden pain in his voice, "If this woman of Gawain's is as beautiful as he claims, I suspect I'll be spending a lot of time at Gawain's house. His wife will welcome the company."

Gawain challenged Lancelot with a look and asked a bit miffed, "I see, and what will I be doing?"

Lancelot returned the look with a mischievous one of his own and replied, "Wondering at your good fortune that all your children look like me."

With that Bors burst out laughing and Lancelot simply smiled, where he once would have joined in on the laughter, as Gawain raised and eyebrow and asked dryly, "Is that before or afta' I hit you with my axe?"

As their laughter continued, their Amazon lovers were scowling at them.

Athena humphed and as her horse joined Gawain's, she whacked him on the back of the head and demanded, "And what am I then? I didn't do all that I have for you, for you to just drop me like some barmaid!"

Gawain's face paled as he tried to stutter out a reply-key word **TRIED**.

Galahad was smiling largely as Areia reached over and grabbed his hand. As she leaned over, Dagonet trotted by and said loudly, "Don't be messin' with him now lass, he doesn't need a concussion from fallin' off his horse!"

Galahad's face turned crimson as Sarmatia gripped her horses flanks with her lean, muscular, silky smooth thighs, crossed her arms, and said as Lancelot joined her and Arthur, "A Sarmatian woman, eh?"

Lancelot cleared his throat, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, as Arthur chuckled.

Very quickly, it seemed, to Sarmatia and her Amazons, that they, the Knights, and Arthur, along with the Roman caravan-what was left of it-arrived at the Wall. After watching Bors get slapped and then kissed passionately by Vanora, the Princesses of the Amazons found themselves in the Round Table chambers where Arthur's famous table resided.

As the Knights entered and took their seats, Arthur stood up, raised his goblet, and said seriously and gravely, "Let us not forget, that we are the fortunate ones."

The Knights let a mouthful of red wine fall from their goblets to the floor and drank the rest as they relaxed and joked around with one another.

Romana, who was seated next to Dagonet and Tristan, who had Theaia, his wife on his other side, asked, "When will that Bishop get here?"

Dagonet looked at her, smiled gently and said in a deep voice, "I don't know."

Romana looked at him in shock and said in an amazed voice, "You talked to me???"

Dagonet chuckled lightly and said as he leveled a serious yet kind glance into her eyes, "I trust you and your sisters now."

Romana beamed brightly at him and placed a warm hand on his larger one. He simply twisted his wrist and intertwined their fingers together.

As the door to Arthur's wing of the Wall opened, the Bishop's servant, appeared and announced with a shell-shocked look in his eyes, "His Eminence, Bishop Nauis Germanous."

As the Bishop walked in with arms wide open in greeting, dressed in his most elaborate robes, he stopped abruptly and cleared his throat. His eyes gazed about the room and stopped only when he saw the women. The Knights, out of habit, got to their feet when someone entered the chamber. When they saw the Bishop's darkly angered eyes, each man let a hand fall to the knife they carried all the time on their person.

The Bishop's servant asked in a very loud whisper to Arthur's squire, Jols, "A Round Table? What sort of evil is this?"

Jols answered back proudly, "Arthur says: **_that for men to be men, they must first be equal._**"

Fortunately for him, the Bishop chose to ignore them and said instead, "I was to understand that there were to be more of you."

Arthur, who had watched all this with keen eyes, answered promptly, "There were, but we've been fighting here for fifteen years Bishop."

"Ah yes…"sighed the older gray hared man as he picked up a goblet and said in a toast, "Arthur and his Knights, you have served the Empire with great courage to preserve the honor of our Empire on this last outpost to our glory, Rome is most indebted; to you noble Knights and to your last days as servants to the Empire."

Lancelot's, who had looked down at the mention of the Knights who fell before their fifteen years were through, head shot up and corrected, "Day, not days."

Sarmatia and the Amazons were enraged by the Bishop's obvious display of ignoring them, and just as Areia was about to stand up and challenge him, they all felt a soothing aura sooth their rage like a healing balm upon a serious wound. They smiled-their Lady was with them and she wished them to remain calm.

Therefore, they would.

The Bishop chuckled lightly and said, "Sit, sit! The Pope has taken a personal interest in you, and he inquires after each of you. He is curious to know if you have converted to the word of our savior or…"

Arthur cut in smoothly, "They have retained the religion of their forefathers, I've never questioned that."

The Bishop nodded and said knowingly, "Of course, of course, they are Pagans. Far apart, the church has deemed as such as innocence, but you Arthur; your path to God it through Pelagius? I saw his image in your room."

Sarmatia, as she listened to Arthur's love for the man who taught him of God, felt very uncomfortable in the Bishop's presence. As he talked about Arthur's place in Rome, it was as if he was an oily muck that crawled all over her body making it shiver in revulsion. _Is this a message from My Lady?_

As his servant brought forth a bolted chest, the Bishop started again in a sorrowful voice, "Alas, alas, we are all players in an ever changing world…barbarians of all corners are almost at Rome's door. Because of this, Rome, **and the Holy Father**, has decided to remove ourselves from indefensible outposts."

With these words, he stood up and started to open the chest.

The Amazons watched with belated breath as the box opened. This is what their lovers had been waiting for, for fifteen years. Even they could not help but feel anxious about see those important papers too.

"What is to become of Briton, we cannot say, the Saxons will take it I suppose."

Arthur cut in sharply since they had only rebuilt the damages from the last battle with the smelly men from the north, "Saxons?"

The Bishop turned serious eyes to them all and said, "Yes, a massive Saxon incursion is being mounted in the north."

Lancelot shook his head said as he remembered the arrowhead the Amazons had brought to them, "Saxons only claim what they kill…."

Gawain ended as he thought of the tiny doll, "…and they only kill everything."

Galahad laughed humorlessly and said, "So, your just giving it to the Woads? I risked my lift for nothing!"

Areia placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear, "Calm down, you'll help no one if you fly into a rage."

Galahad pursed his lips, but followed what she said, much to her pleasure.

The Bishop hummed mockingly and said as he presented the open box to them all, "Gentleman, your discharge papers for safe conduct throughout the Roman Empire. But first, I must have a word with your commander."

Lancelot glanced at Arthur and saw something in his friend's eyes that he had only ever seen when he spoke of Merlin-anger and rage.

Lancelot took a step back involuntarily as Arthur said in a controlled voice, "We have no secrets."

When the Bishop slammed the chest closed, Lancelot raised his goblet and said charmingly, "Come, let us leave Roman business to the Romans."

He saluted them both, drowned his wine, offered his hand to Sarmatia and walked calmly out of the chambers. He knew the others would follow his lead.

He and Arthur had earned their trust and loyalty well.

As the large group reached the Tavern, Bors demanded that Vanora sing. When she started to protest, Galahad and the other Knights were quick to encourage her.

Sarmatia leaned in close to Lancelot and whispered, "Is she truly good?"

Lancelot smiled and said genuinely, "She has one of the sweetest voices in all of Briton I would think."

Sarmatia felt heat infuse in her cheeks as she glanced at the red hared lover of Bors quickly and said as she placed her head on his shoulder, "High praise coming from you."

As Vanora's song came to an end, Jols, who was standing near Lancelot and Sarmatia exclaimed, "Arthur!"

Galahad cried out cheerfully, "Arthur!"

Bors joined in, "RUS!!!  
Lancelot didn't like Arthur's serious and dark face. He knew something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut.


	13. Chapter 13

Amazonian Support 13

**Movie scenes don't belong to me-the alterations do!**

Lancelot grumbled.

He was right. He just **KNEW** something was wrong.

Arthur had just told them that the Bishop was withholding their discharge papers from them. They would receive their papers when they went far beyond the northern side of the Wall and rescued a _bloody_ roman family that was idiotic enough to live so far away from the protection of the Wall and the southern Roman armies.

He had wanted to scream and yell and argue with Arthur, but his friend's wounded green eyes prevented him from even opening his mouth. Unfortunately, Galahad, who had the same type of relationship with Gawain that he had with Arthur, was unable to use his **_'people reading'_** skills when it came to Arthur. Their youngest Knight shot his mouth off, and left the tavern in a temper tantrum with Areia chasing after him yelling to the high heavens at him for his disrespect and non-loyalty to Arthur.

Tristan and Theaia simply nodded and left to prepare. After they had retrieved their hawks first! If he wasn't mistaken, Theaia would join Tristan in his bed once more this night as husband and wife because while they were on the road, there would be no time for romance and marriage.

Bors, Dagonet, Romana, and Vanora with number eleven silently left the tavern as well-Bors and Dagonet to pack and Vanora and Romana to put the children to sleep.

He had to smile though. Romana and Vanora had become very close friends while the Amazons had been here. They were so close; it was like Romana had always been there for Dagonet and Vanora.

Lancelot shook his head as he walked into the stables and watched with somber eyes and Arthur bent down on his knees and started to pray, "O merciful God, I have such need of your mercy now. Not for myself, but for my knights, for this is truly their hour of need. Deliver them from their trials ahead and I will pay you a thousand fold with any sacrifice you ask of me; and if in your wisdom, you should determine that sacrifice must be my life for theirs; so that they can once again taste the freedom that is so long been denied to them, I will gladly make that covenant. My death will have a purpose. I ask no more than that."

Lancelot snorted and said as he made himself known, "Why do talk to God and not to me? Especially now, when you know that, she who is God on Earth, can't really influence anything beyond what she already has?"

Arthur sighed and said as he stood up, "Perhaps, but it makes me fell better to talk to him…her about it. It is not easy being Commander and knowing that your freedom, which you all richly deserve, has been taken from you and I had to tell you that. It makes my spirit feel lighter to talk to her about it…don't begrudge me this?"

Lancelot gestured towards Arthur and said, "Pray, to whomever, God or the Lady, you pray that we don't cross the Saxons."

Arthur looked beseechingly at his friend, "My faith is what protects me, Lancelot. Why do you challenge this?"

Lancelot, unaware of their third party witness, crossed his arms and said crossly, "I don't like anything that puts a man on his knees."

Arthur shook his head and said calmly, "No man fears to kneel before the God he trusts. Without faith, without belief in something, what are we?"

Lancelot shook his head but dropped the topic to start another one, "To try and get past the Woads in the north is insanity!"

Arthur placed a hand on his friend's shoulders and said supporting because he knew how much Lancelot was disappointed, "Them, we've fought before."

Lancelot shrugged off the hand and retorted, "Not north of the Wall! How many Saxons? Hmm? How many!?"

Arthur felt horrible and with his friend's question, because he couldn't answer it the way Lancelot wanted him too. They both knew that there would be hundreds of Saxons chasing them, and their prospect of living to the end of this mission was slim to none-especially since they had to protect the family with their lives whilst they traveled.

Lancelot sighed in resignation, "Tell me. Do you believe in this mission?"

Sarmatia, who was still hidden from her friends, bit her lip as they fought one another. This wasn't good. If they were fighting when they were gone on this mission, their chances of survival would be half what it normally would be. She tilted her head upwards and silently asked, _is this why you sent us Lady? To help the Knights with this horrible mission and to save their souls???_

Sudden warmth filled her soul. She was right. They were supposed to save the Knights.

Arthur's stern voice jolted her back to the current conversation, "These people need our help. It is out duty to bring…."

Lancelot cut in angrily because he was angry and felt betrayed, "I don't care about your charge. And I don't give a **damn** about Romans, Britain, or this island. If you desire to spend eternity in this place, Arthur, then so be it. But **suicide** cannot be chosen for another…!

Arthur, who had finally lost his temper, shouted, "And yet you choose death for this family!"

Lancelot, who was very angry himself shouted and interjected as his hand slammed down on the stable fences, "No, I choose **life!** And **freedom!** For myself and the men!"

Lancelot sat down with a mad sigh, "Arthur…you must understand…I'm supposed to be free, and yet…I have to **ONCE AGAIN** risk **MY** life for that of **ANOTHER** lazy, ignorant, rich Roman who has no commonsense to live in a safe place rather than the wilds of the north!"

Arthur calmed down enormously as he heard his second's reasoning, "How many times in battle have we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat? Outnumbered, outflanked, but still we triumph? With you at my side, we can do so again. Lancelot, we are knights. What other purpose do we serve if not for such a cause?"

Lancelot shook his head and said softly like he regretted it and felt horrible for saying what he was about to, "Arthur, you fight for a world that will never exist. Never! There will always be a battlefield."

Lancelot leaned over the stables to face Arthur and said with a positive nod, "I will die in battle. Of that I'm certain. Now hopefully, it will be a battle of my choosing.  
But, if it be this one, grant me a favor: don't bury me in our sad little cemetery. Burn me.  
Burn me, and cast my ashes to a strong east wind."

Sarmatia gasped and backed away from the stables quickly as Lancelot spun around and stormed out of the houses for the horses. She couldn't believe that Lancelot felt like that. Could he have seen a possible future like she had before she had arrived in Briton?

She glanced back into the dark stables and bit her lip. Arthur was unmoving and seemed to stare into the darkness with blankness in his normally expressive eyes.

She sneaked silently to Lancelot's chambers and swiftly opened the door. She gasped. Lancelot spun around and automatically reached for the knife he kept at his waist. As he raised it, ready to let it fly, he saw who had shocked him and gasped out with a jolt downward, "Sarmatia!"

Sarmatia's violet eyes were focused on the knife as it vibrated to a stop. She raised her eyes and took in a deep breath. When her eyes focused on Lancelot she gave a soft scream and rushed to his side.

"Lancelot! What's wrong?!" she begged as she wrapped her arms around his naked shoulders.

He shoved her away and grounded out, "Nothing! Leave!"

Sarmatia, from her place on the floor at the foot of Lancelot's bed, stared up at him with injured eyes. But, very quickly, it seemed, determination filled her violet orbs and said was by his side once more.

She placed a hand under his chin and asked softly, "What is wrong? Please, Lancelot, tell me?"

Lancelot sighed and said as he pointed to the knife still embedded in the floor, "I was going to hurt you. If I hadn't seen you, I would have killed you."

Sarmatia put her arms around him once more and pulled him into her embrace as she said soothingly, "No, that wasn't your fault. It's mine. I surprised you. I should know by now not to come up behind a highly trained Knight. Even I respond like that from time to time-especially on the eve of an important mission."

Lancelot sighed and said as tears fell, "I just…I've waited for this day for so long…and now…"

Sarmatia sighed and said as she carded her hand though his curly black raven hair, "I know…I know…but think of it this way Lancelot. Rome has just proven that it is a liar and only looking out for its own welfare. But you, you and the Knights have proven that you are twice a powerful than the Empire. You all will go on this mission, with our help of course, and beat them at their own game. You will return the family and you will get your freedom by honor and strength. You will prove to all of Rome and Briton nay the entire **WOLRD** that the Sarmatian Knights are honorable, loyal, and powerful enough to take on the worst of the Empire and still win fairly."

Lancelot sighed and nodded as he said, "Okay, okay, you win. I get it. Rome broke its promise, not Arthur. My anger should be pointed at Rome not Arthur, himself."

As she made to leave, Lancelot lightly held her hand and asked a bit sheepishly, "Could you stay? I…I know nothing can happen but…"

Sarmatia smiled in sweet understanding and said as she lay down beside him, "Yes, I will Lancelot."

As they fell asleep in each others arms, Lancelot thought _what am I to do???? Stay with her, go to the Amazon Nation with her, or go to Rome with Arthur and Sarmatia???_


	14. Chapter 14

Amazonian Support 14

The situations from the movie have changed because the girls are there so, thell me what you think.

The next morning as the Knights and their Ladies readied themselves for the trip, Arthur walked in and stopped. Galahad was running his horse through its exercises and he abruptly stopped when they met eye to eye.

Areia cleared her throat, crossed her arms under her bosom, and glared meaningfully at Galahad.

Galahad cleared his throat uncomfortably and said as he jumped down from his warhorse, "Ah, about last night, look I'm sorry and…"

Arthur raised his hand and said in an understanding tone, "I know, I know, you were drunk and angry and you have every right to be angry Galahad. Rome broke the contract for its purposes, and now you have to risk your life in a near-suicide mission. Believe me, I'm not feeling amorous towards Rome myself right now."

Gawain and the others gasped at his words.

"Arthur, you've always loved Rome, why…?" started Gawain with wide eyes as Athena sat in his lap and twirled a few strands of his blond hair through her fingers.

Almost unconsciously his arms wrapped around her waist in a protective father-to-be hold that made the others eye them curiously.

Then they turned to Tristan and Theaia and raised their eyebrows. The only Knight who was married, Tristan, raised both of his and looked towards his wife meaningfully.

Theaia's hazel eyes sparkled as she shrugged and said, "I'm not…yet."

Arthur shook his head and said with a tiny hidden grin, "As of right now, Rome and I are on opposite sides of this situation. I don't like the fact that Rome has broken its word to you and me, and I don't want to go on this mission either, but with the Bishop holding our papers until we return…what choice do we have?"

Galahad sighed and said; "None, and now I **REALLY** feel like a heel for the way I treated you, Arthur. I'm truly really, very sorry."

Arthur smiled, nodded, and said as the Bishop walked in with his aid, "All's forgiven Galahad."

Bishop Germanous stormed up to Arthur and demanded, "What are these pagan women doing here? They should be in the Tavern working or in the men's beds keeping them warm during the winter nights."

Almost immediately the Knights felt their ire raise, and Arthur frowned heavily as Sarmatia, as the leader of the Amazon Princesses, marched up to the Bishop and said heatedly, "**WE** are not weak willed women for your men to order around. **WE** are Amazon Princesses and **WE** follow no man's law except one-Arthur's! We do **not** have to **do** anything you say, **BISHOP**. **We**, unlike the Knights, _whom you have betrayed_, are not **slaves** to Rome, and as such are free to do whatever the **HELL** we want too!"

Bishop Germanous straightened to his full height, a very full five-foot six-still three inches shorter than Sarmatia herself, and said pompously, "**I** am a Bishop of Rome. You **MUST** obey me otherwise I'll have you hanged for heresy."

Sarmatia smirked superiorly and said as Arthur came to her side, "And yet, my Ladies and I will be leaving with Arthur and his Knights in a few minutes, and returning with them. How will you find the time to hang me, when I'm not going to be here?"

Lancelot, who had finished saddling his and Sarmatia's horse, walked up to her quickly and said softly into her sensitive ear as he placed a gentle have on her elbow, "Don't give him a reason to hate you Sarmatia. He will do **ANYTHING** to keep his version of power in his hands. You could prove to be an opponent that he will not appreciate to compete with."

Sarmatia smiled sweetly at him and said coyly as she allowed him to drag her to their horses, "Don't worry Lancelot, I know what I'm doing. He can't touch me, unless he wants the entire Amazonian Nation to march on Rome."

Lancelot raised an eyebrow and said as Arthur and the Bishop talked in whispers, "So, you can talk to him however you want and he can't do anything because the Amazons will wage war on Rome?"

Sarmatia smiled and shrugged innocently as she mounted her horse and turned to Arthur in time to hear the Bishop say, "Then get them home."

Arthur reared his horse around and said, "Lets go!"

They moved quickly through the Briton countryside, and by the time dusk fell, they had reached the dark woods that were inhabited with Woads.

Every Knight and Amazon was on edge. This forest was full of enemies and they were itching to fight the obvious Picts that were trailing their every move. Each man and woman was tense and pulled tighter than Tristan's bow.

Tristan trotted up to Arthur and said as his wife, Theaia trotted up to his commander's other side, "Woads."

Arthur looked at them both and asked, "Where?"

At their commander's words, the others reached for their weapons. Lancelot ground his teeth together and thought _this is just great! I'm going to die in this horrible dark forest and I'll never get to tell Sarmatia how I really feel!_

Tristan glanced around their group and answered through his braids, "Everywhere."

Suddenly dozens of arrows rained down upon them.

"Get back!" roared Arthur as more arrows zeroed in on them all.

Sarmatia screeched as an arrow sliced a nice, clean wound on her upper arm.

Lancelot twisted in his saddle and asked loudly over the pounding of the horses hooves, "Are you okay?"

Sarmatia smiled painfully and nodded as they followed Arthur through another path in the forest.

Lancelot frowned at her answer, but there was nothing he could do while they were under fire. He could only hope that no other arrows found homes in her delicious body.

Arthur growled as the Woads unleashed a picket fence that forced him, his Knights, and his Amazon Lady followers' back whence they came.

He roughly pulled his horse back around and yelled, "Get back!"

Bors echoed the roar with one of his own as he threw his hand forward, "GET BACK!!!!!!!!!!"

Romana screamed as an arrow lodged itself in her upper chest. She hunched over her horse and huffed as she tried to stay on the horse. Dagonet yelled in anger as he brought his horse alongside hers and placed a hand under her arm to help her sit right and to alleviate the pain from her wound. She smiled at him in thanks.

As they were brought to a screeching halt, each facing three to five armed Woads, they reached for their weapons and pulled them out ready to fight-but knowing the end was no doubt near.

Just as they were about to attack, a long, low vibrating horn reverberated throughout the forest. Lancelot tilted his head as the Woad from before, a man with a sun tattoo on his forehead, frowned and pulled his arrow back tighter to start the fight and kill Arthur at the same time, frowned even more when the second gonging flew through the air.

In an instant all the Woads were gone-they simply melted back into the shadows like they always did after a fight.

Gawain couldn't believe it. He glanced to Athena and was grateful that she was not wounded like Romana and Sarmatia, but asked bewildered, "What are you waiting for!?"

Dagonet, who was looking Romana over, nodded, glared evilly into the forest, ripped his sword from its sheath and exclaimed, "_Inish!_ Devil Ghosts!!"

Lancelot sighed and said, "Lets just get to a safe place so we can deal with the girls' wounds."

Arthur nodded and said, "Yes, I agree. Tristan, Theaia, go on ahead of us and find a clearing for us to wrap their wounds."

Sarmatia sighed as Lancelot peered at her in concern, and said with a shake of her head, "Lancelot, I'm fine. It's just a tiny cut. I'll be fine. It's Romana who really needs to be looked at. Her wound is by far worse than mine."

Lancelot sighed and smiled, and with a tiny shake of his head said softly, "Yes, I know. I just can't help but worry about you."

Sarmatia smiled. Before she could say anything, Tristan and Theaia arrived and Tristan said softly as his hawk, Amod, fluttered down to his gloved arm, "There is a place about a mile away that we can rest and wrap our wounds."

Arthur nodded with a smile and said, "Lead the way."

Very quickly they arrived in a pretty clearing full of white flowers and falling leaves.

Lancelot all but jumped off his horse, before it even came to a stop, and gently lifted Sarmatia from hers. She chuckled at his actions, and said, "Lance, I'm fine. You're acting like I'm going to die."

Lancelot placed her down against a large tree and said softly, well aware of the others watching them both with wide teasing grins, "Sarmatia, I care for you very much. I can't stand the fact that you were hurt. I just…I just want to make sure that you are alright…."

Sarmatia smiled lovingly at him, placed her hand on his bearded cheek, and said softly into his ear with warmth in her voice that he hadn't heard before, "I want the same for you Lancelot. I can't help but want you with all my heart, but I know that you'll not be happy living here or living in the Amazon Nation."

Arthur sighed and said to the others, "I feel sorry for them both. They obviously love one another, and yet…"

Areia finished, "…they can't be together. Life sucks!"


	15. Chapter 15

Amazonian Support 15

Lancelot smiled painfully as he finished wrapping Sarmatia's wound while listening to Romana groan and moan as Dagonet labored over her own wounds.

Arthur asked warily, "How is she Dagonet?"

Dagonet sighed and replied as he finished wrapping the Amazon's wound, "It looked more worse than it really was. She'll be fine as long as she doesn't aggravate it to badly."

Theaia snorted and said, "Then you'd better keep her close Dagonet. She's the most stubborn out of the five of us when it comes to fighting with injuries."

Romana stuck out her tongue and said, "Looks who's talking."

Arthur smiled as the others laughed and said, "Come now, we still have a job to do."

Lancelot nodded and said, "Yes, lets get this over with."

Faster than they had hoped, for they thought it'd take them five days to reach the family, they instead, arrived on the dawning of the third day.

As they came upon the large wooden gates, they closed and a voice called from above, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

Arthur turned down his head and shook it as he said when he raised his head back up, "I am Arthur Castus, Commander of the Sarmatian Knights, sent by Bishop Germanous of Rome. Open the gate."

As the ten riders entered the large Roman Mansion, they watched as a squat, pudgy man in a Roman toga came up to them with a very fake smile on his face, "It is a wonder you have come. Good Jesus, Arthur and his Knights; you have fought the Woads-vile creatures."

As Arthur went to tell him of his and his Knights' charge, Marius spied the women and barked out, "What are these Pagan women doing on horseback carrying weapons?! They have no business riding as men!"

Arthur rolled his eyes and thought as Areia retorted back to the Roman official, _this is getting repetitive. So what if the women ride like men, they are Amazons not Roman. Why do they have such a hard time understanding this???_

Marius looked baffled and asked Arthur in an incredulous tone, "You ally yourselves with Amazons?! But you are Christian! It goes against everything God stands for!"

The Knights snorted and the Amazons laughed as Arthur raised his eyes heavenward and said instead in an ordering tone, "Our orders are to evacuate you immediately."

Marius blinked and said pompously, "But that... that is impossible."

Arthur rolled his eyes and prayed to the Guardian for patience and asked instead as he looked purposely around-he didn't want to remain here any longer than he needed to, "Which is Alecto?"

From high above them on the second story level of the mansion came a young, maturing voice, "I am Alecto."

Marius added levelly as if he was trying to keep calm, "Alecto is my son. And everything we have is here in the land given to us by the Pope of Rome."

Lancelot rolled his eyes and said as he horse skittered to the side to escape the Roman's touch and Tristan and Theaia silently left to scout the lands ahead of them, "Well, you're about to give it to the Saxons."

Sarmatia added with a wicked looking smirk, "They're invading from the north."

Marius Honourius glared at her and said with a lazy wave of his hand like he was brushing aside their very reason for coming here, "Then Rome will send an army."

Arthur pursed his lips at the Roman's attitude and replied blandly, a sure sign to Lancelot that Arthur was close to losing his patience with the man, "They have-us. We leave as soon as you're packed."

Marius pointed to Arthur and said as the Amazons grew closer to the Knights and Arthur, "I refuse to leave."

He turned to the people on his lands that worked for him and ordered briskly, "Go back to work! All of you!"

Areia snorted and said, "Isn't that just like a man."

The Knights rolled their eyes as they watched a few men in Roman armor push and shove the helpless, sickly looking peasant around, "You heard! Go!"

Arthur's eyebrows furrowed as the people shuffled away like frighten kittens all the while saying, "All right, all right!"

And still the Romans were pushing and shoving the people, "Go! Get back to work, all of you! Go back!"

Lancelot and Arthur shared a glance. Lancelot's was frustrated and a little desperate and Arthur's was filled with nothing but indignant rage.

He swung dawn from his horse and said as he marched purposely up to Marius in an intimidating way, "If I fail to bring you and your son back, my men can never leave this land. So you're coming with me if I have to tie you to my horse and drag you all the way to Hadrian's Wall myself."

He bowed slightly with his head and added mockingly, "My lord."

Then he turned towards the quite, invisible Roman lady, Marius' wife and added more gently, "Lady, my knights are hungry."

The Amazons sneered in disgust as the woman, who by their standards, should be in control of her own actions and not need a man's approval, silently asked her husband for orders. To them, the Romans were everything that was wrong in the world. The Romans were the black dot of shame upon the world. Athena, from her place next to Gawain, tilted her head to look at him. He was silently scanning the area for possible threats as were the other Knights, but she knew that her lion-like friend was in agreement with her and her sisters. She turned back to the Roman Official as he barked back to his timid wife, "Go."

Then the sniveling man placed a hand on his son's shoulder and said forcefully, "Come!"

Bors, who was closest to Arthur saw him gazing around the Roman compound with growing horror. In an attempt to save him from seeing more of the horrors his own country did to those not of Roman descent, he placed a hand on his shoulder and suggested nicely, "Come. Let us go, hm?"

But Arthur ignored him. As he purposely headed towards an old man hanging by his wrists with a bloody, slashed back a young, thin man appeared by his side and asked excitedly, "Sir, you're famous. You're Arthur, aren't you? I'm Ganis. I'm a good fighter and I'm smart. I'd serve you proudly."

Bors and the other Knights rolled their eyes and readied themselves for a fight. The Amazons simply smiled and pulled out their own weapons. Dagonet eyed Romana with a frown, but she simply smiled sweetly back. Dagonet was worried, but remained silent. After all, she was her own lady and could do whatever she wanted-he had no claim to her-yet.

As Bors turned towards Arthur, ready to go to his aide, should he need it, an old man in cleric robes appeared by his side and asked hopefully, "Are you from Rome?"

Bors gave him a blank stare and said dryly, seriously, "From hell."

Lancelot and Sarmatia, who were both watching over Arthur, rolled their eyes as the young man, once again, tried to gain Arthur's attention, "Sir…"

Arthur cut him off and demanded, "Who is this man?"

Ganis replied hesitantly, "He's our village elder."

As Lancelot came to Arthur's right side, Arthur demanded once more, "What is this punishment for?"

When Ganis didn't answer right away, Arthur cried out, "Answer me!"

Ganis answered quickly because of Arthur tone and Lancelot's hard stare, "He defied our master, Marius. Most of the food we grow is sent out by sea to be sold. He asked that we keep a little more for ourselves, that's all. My ass has been snappin' at the grass I'm so hungry! You're from Rome. Is it true that Marius is a spokesman for God and that it's a sin to defy him?"

Lancelot winced at Ganis' answer. He turned to Sarmatia and nodded to her silent question _yep, Arthur's in a stint now._

Arthur felt rage sweep through his body like an ocean storm over flooding a tiny rive as he pointed Excalibur in Ganis' direction and roared, "I tell you now. Marius is not of God. And you, all of you, were free from your first breath!"

He swung his awe-inspiring sword through the air and cut the man's bonds and ordered, "Help this man. Help him!"

Lancelot sighed deeply. He knew what was next-Arthur will want to save all the people here…that was the kind of man he was. Lancelot bit his lip as he stared at Sarmatia from the corner of his eye. She was looking at Arthur with pride in her eyes. He knew she was in agreement with Arthur about saving as many people as they could, but he was torn. He knew it was the right thing to do-to save the people. If they didn't the Saxon's would surely kill them all. But traveling with so many people-mostly old men and women and weak, malnourished young men and women-would slow them down tremendously. They would be overrun with Saxons and they'd have to fight. They would be risking their lives **AGAIN** for those whom wouldn't even thank them. Never mind the fact that they were risking their freedom by traveling so slow.

He turned back to Arthur as he continued to talk impassioned to the people and he couldn't help but be inspired, just a little, by his friend's speech and desire to help those in need, "Now hear me. A vast and terrible army is coming this way. They will show no mercy, spare anyone. Those of you who are able should gather your things and begin to move south towards Hadrian's Wall. Those unable shall come with us."

He turned back towards Ganis and ordered, "You, serve me now.

Get these people ready."

The young man stood straighter and said briskly to the people dressed in old rag-like clothes, "Right, you heard him. You go grab enough food and water for the journey. Let's get hurry on; else we're all dead! Come on, hurry."

As they rushed about gathering as much food, water, and spare clothes, they saw from the corner of their eyes two riders, a man and a woman with hawks on their arms, ride right up to Arthur, a man with curly black hair, and a woman with the most amazing violet purple eyes and overheard them as the wind brought the conversation to them, "They have flanked us to the east. They're coming from the south, trying to cut off our escape. They'll be here before nightfall."

"How many?"

"An entire army."


	16. Chapter 16

Script belongs to King Arthur

Amazonian Support 16

The peasants under Marius' control looked at one another in fear as the curly hared Knight and woman bowed their heads and squeezed their fists. The common people knew that Arthur hadn't told them what he did to instill fear into them, so they'll pack and leave faster-he told them because it was the hard truth of their situation now

The Saxons were coming.

Arthur asked warily, "And the only way out is to the south?"

Theaia shook her head and replied, "East, there is a trail heading east across the mountain. It means we have to cross behind Saxon lines, but that's the one we should take."

The peasants close to the small group of warriors eyed one another nervously as more and more of the conversation came to them over the winds.

Tristan eyed all the gathered people over Arthur's shoulder and asked with a knowing tone in his voice, "Arthur, who are all of these people?"

Arthur eyed his scout with a come-on look as he answered, "They're coming with us."

Tristan shook his head and said neutrally as the peasants began to treble with fear, "Then we'll never make it."

Sarmatia, who had turned away from the men, watched the Roman mercenaries with growing hatred and disgust as the pushed and shoved a couple of weary looking men to pile on more and more bricks, "Come on, get back to work!"

"Back to work!"

"Move!"

"Move!"

"Move!"

Lancelot watched with a tiny burst of fear and desperation as Arthur turned as well and spied a rickety addition to the wondrous mansion.

"What is this?" he demanded hotly as he pulled Excalibur free from its sheath once more.

The mercenary took a deep breath to gather his courage and stated, "You cannot go in there."

Lancelot rolled his eyes at that and took a step closer to the Roman who eyed him and his twin blades nervously as he added with a tiny tremble in his voice, "No one goes in there. This place is forbidden."

Marius marched up to them and demanded hotly-it was obvious that he was angry at them for a lot of things, "What are you doing? Stop this!"

Areia shook her head and said from a top her warhorse, "Arthur, we have no time."

Galahad nodded in agreement as he added with a tiny bit of desperation in her voice, "Do you not hear the drums?"

Sarmatia rolled her eyes at them and tilted her head. Areia clearly understood what her commander was saying _'Do you really think Arthur's going to let this one go? Do you think that **I** will either?'_

When she heard a sigh of resignation from her right, she turned and watched as Lancelot and Bors unsheathed their weapons and made ready to enter the dark foreboding place.

Arthur ignored the two easiest to anger and said commandingly to his most trusting Knight, "Dagonet."

Romana watched with proud eyes as her fancy unquestioningly swung down from his warhorse with his battle axe in hand, marched up to the door, and threw all his weight behind it to bring down the hastily built brick wall, "Agh! Agh!"

Arthur watched as his Knight tried to kick the oak wooden door open.

When that didn't work, he turned to the mercenary that Lancelot had backed into a wall and his sword, he demanded with a tiny smile of approval in Lancelot's direction, "Key."

Lancelot watched the Roman with barely hidden glee as his eyes jumped from his sword, to Arthur, to him, and jump around the three of them again once more when the Roman mumbled in a frightened tone, "It is locked."

The Roman cleared his throat uncomfortably as Tristan stepped into his line of sight upon his horse making the scene even more intimidating and added hastily, "From the inside."

Romana walked to Dagonet's side as the door opened with the strength of Dagonet's axe skills, and said as she stepped into the gloom, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Lancelot and Sarmatia each grabbed and mercenary and shoved them harshly through the door behind the blond haired second-n-command and said, "You, you... go!", "Move!"

Lancelot, who had grabbed a torch when he entered, blindingly thrust it behind him and said shortly because he was getting very frustrated very fast, "Gawain!"

As the group edged slowly down the dark corridor, they began to hear a strange echoing bounce all around them, "Exaudi orationem meam."

**"Exaudi orationem meam"**

**"**In nomine Dei Patris omnipotentiset in virtute Spiritus Sancti."

Then from the gloom, appeared a dirty, thinning man who demanded to a surprised Lancelot, Sarmatia, and Romana, "Who are these defilers of the Lord's temple?"

Lancelot, who had, had it up to his ears with talk of God and all his virtues, especially since he and the others now knew God to be a manifestation of the highly deluded Roman Church, pushed the atrocious man aside and cried out in disgust, "Out of the way."

As Arthur and Sarmatia came to his side, he cast his gaze about the room and nearly threw up. There along the walls were men and women-dead-men and women who were dressed in a little more than rags. Their bodies were in various stages of decomposition and the smell of the rotting flesh, blood, and other bodily fluids nearly overwhelmed him. When he thrust himself closer he saw a terrible sight. It was of a girl-child, barely seven years old-if that, hanging helplessly from the chains that were too short to let her stand, even precariously, on the dirty floor underneath her bloody feet.

Her eyes were wide and a vivid dark blue despite the fact that both her eyes were bruised and swollen.

As Sarmatia cried out in dismay and quickly swung her sword across the old, rusty chains, picked her up, and ran outside the horrendous place, Lancelot turned to Arthur and said horridly, "The work of your god. Is this how he answers your prayers?"

Arthur's answering wounded eyes made him feel a momentary jolt of guilt, but it passed quickly. Plus, even though it was mean of him, he couldn't help but feel vindicated because even though he hurt Arthur's feelings, he knew that Arthur finally saw what Rome and Rome's **GOD** truly were-nothing more than power hungry, blood-thirsty, morally corrupt men who felt like they owned everything and everyone.

As the priest tried to stop him from entering, Lancelot thrust his sword into the man and watched him fall dead-he felt no guilt whatsoever.

Arthur shook with barely concealed horror and anger-at himself, Lancelot, and Rome more importantly. He was angry at himself because he allowed himself to blindingly follow the will of **GOD**, whom he now knew to be the manifestation of greedy men as the real God was a lovely, warm-hearted woman. He was upset and angry at Lancelot for shoving it into his face and making him realize it, and he was raging mad at Rome for saying things like truth and justice and equality for all, and then Rome turns right around and stabs everyone and everything in the back.

He cleared his throat and said warily, "See if there's any still alive."

Then from behind them, from a well hidden doorway that lead into the mansion came a voice and another dirty, thin man "How dare you set foot in this holy place?"

That same man looked down when his foot hit something and gasped out as he pointed downward in righteous anger, "There was a man of God."

Lancelot rolled his eyes, took a step forward, placed his finger just under the priest's eyes and retorted angrily because he was angry about their mission, the situation, and now it seemed he was angry at the man too, "Not my god!"

Galahad and Areia, who had waded through the mass of people whilst they were fighting, opened a cage, reeled back in horror of the smell and he announced in a croaked, nasal tone as his hand was covering his nose, "This one's dead."

Gawain who was right behind Lancelot winced and said as an echo of drums reverberated throughout the tomb, "By this smell, they are all dead."

He pointed his axe at the priest and said threatening, "And you, you even move, you join him."

Dagonet, who had finally reached a cage as there were too many people within the tiny space, gasped out as he pulled out a tiny boy of seven or eight, "Arthur!"

The Knights spun around to see Dagonet had his finger up to the boy's face as he said, "You must not fear me."

Arthur watched with bland, disbelieving eyes as Romana snatched the boy from Dagonet's hands and spun out of the tomb as if the very demons of hell were after her.

Finally he shook himself out of his disbelief as Lancelot took a few steps deeper into the cell and bent down. He followed and blinked at what his friend found.

There in the dark, a pair of despairing amber eyes peered back at them both. Arthur stood up and swung Excalibur across the rusty lock. The gate swung down and clanged loudly in the room. Lancelot, who had taken Arthur's torch from him when he had risen, took a step back and allowed his friend to gently grab the woman.

With a heavy heart fully of pity and sadness for the tortured people and yet full of gladness because he was out of that damned place, Lancelot eyed Tristan meaningfully as he threw down his torch and listened to Arthur call out _**'Water! Give me some water!'**_

Arthur watched with dark eyes as Ganis, the boy from before, appeared by his side with a bucket and ladle.

As he gave the water to the woman, he heard Horton say softly to Dagonet, who was behind him, "His arm is broken."

There was silence and Horton's voice came back softly since it was filled with horror and sadness, "And his family?"

Arthur didn't have to see Dagonet to know that his silent friend had shaken his head **'no'**. No, the boy wouldn't have family-life wasn't that fair.

Tristan, who had remained patient upon his horse, looked down upon the woman and Arthur and said as he spied her colorful legs, "She's a Woad."

Arthur ignored him and said instead in a comforting voice, "I'm a Roman officer. You're safe now."

As the woman leaned even closer to him, he added even more gently, "You're safe."

Arthur was interrupted By Marius crying out in madness, "Stop what you are doing!"

Arthur gently placed the woman down into Marius' wife's arms and demanded as he picked up Excalibur, which Lancelot had thrust into the earth beside him as he had, had his hands full of the woman, "What is this madness?"

Marius threw up his hands and cried out in a voice that to the Roman lord seemed to answer everything, "They're all pagans here!"

Galahad, who was once again on top of his war horse piped back in an ugly tone, "So are we."

Marius' face grew red with rage and frustration as he continued on-ignoring Galahad's words, "They refuse to do the task God has set for them! They must die as an example!"

Arthur got into his face and replied angrily, "You mean they refused to be your serfs!"

Lancelot watched as Marius' face became confused as he said in an odd tone, "You are a Roman. You understand. And you are a Christian."

Then his beady eyes landed on the woman Arthur retrieved from the cell, and Marius' rage grew once more. Before Lancelot could stop him, he lunged at the two women and cried out in rage as his fist landed on his wife's pale cheek, "You! You kept her alive!"

Lancelot watched with a heavy heart as Arthur threw Marius off his wife, punched him in the face, broke his nose, and placed Excalibur at Marius' neck.

When Lancelot moved to guard his friend's back, the mercenaries, who seemed to finally grow a backbone, cried out, "My lord!"

Marius, from under Arthur's sword raised his hand and said, "No! No, stop!"

His eyes stared challengingly into Arthur's as he finished, "When we get to the wall you will be punished for this heresy."

Arthur's smirk wasn't a nice one as he leaned further down into Marius' personal space and whispered loudly enough for them all to hear, "Perhaps I should kill you now and seal my fate."


	17. Chapter 17

Amazonian Support 17

This will be the last chapter, and it'll be the longest one in the story. I don't think there will be a sequel to it, but you never know.

As the Knights formed a circle around Arthur and Marius to protect him from the Roman's hired help, a priest squandered up to Areia and said in a dazed idiotic tone, "I was willing to die with them."

Areia sneered at him in disgust as he added with glazed over eyes, "Yes, to lead them to their rightful place. It is God's wish that these sinners be sacrificed. Only then can their souls be saved."

Arthur, by that time, had reigned in his temper and stood up. He eyed the priest of his religion in barely concealed repugnance and said slowly like he was talking to a five year old who didn't quite understand Briton, "Then I shall grant his wish."

He cast his gaze around the entire courtyard and ordered to the poor serfs, "Wall them back up."

Lancelot and Sarmatia, who had by then placed the girl in the healing wagon, eyed each other worriedly, and Lancelot started, "Arthur…"

But his friend ignored him and ordered again in a more serious and angry tone, "I said wall them up!"

The priest who had been talking to Areia pleaded in desperation as the serfs eagerly grabbed him and his brethren and through them both into the terror chambers, "Don't you see it is the will of God that these sinners be sacrificed? Unhand me, defil... They're sinners!"

Ganis shouted in unrestricted glee, "Get in there!"

Lancelot sighed as the caravan they were leading behind enemy lines slowed down once more. He trotted up to Sarmatia and Arthur and started in a weary tone that both his friends recognized as hopelessness and depression, "We're moving too slow."

He nodded back towards the wagon where three survivors were located and continued just as sadly-like he didn't really believe what he was saying but felt like he had too as it was his job as second-n-command, "Neither girl is gonna make it, and neither is the boy. The family we can protect, but we're wasting our time with all these people."

Sarmatia sighed and said strongly as she placed a hand on his leather-clad thigh, "We're not leaving them."

Lancelot continued mindlessly as he stared back at the little girl he and Sarmatia had found, "If the Saxons find us, we will have to fight."

Arthur knew his friend was right in one regard; they were moving much to slow. But, his conscience wouldn't let him abandon all those helpless people to the torture of the Saxons. Not when he could help them in any way possible. He also realized that Lancelot knew this too, but felt like he had to keep things in perspective, as was his role as lieutenant.

He also knew that Lancelot was horrified by what they had found in that terrible place. Arthur knew that Lancelot had wanted to gut Marius himself, and Arthur was proud of his best friend for not acting out his anger as he had done.

He looked at Sarmatia and Lancelot together and said purposely, "Then save your anger for them."

Lancelot had, by then, come out of his dazed musings and asked slyly as he and Sarmatia glanced at one another and started to slow down so they could check up on the small girl-child that they had saved, "Is this Rome's quest or Arthur's?"

As they reached the healing wagon, Dagonet looked up and gave them a tired smile. Sarmatia placed a hand on his shoulder and asked, "How is she? She seems stronger."

Dagonet nodded and said, "She is well enough surprisingly. I think she had only been down there for a week or two. She wasn't down there long enough to suffer long-time damage. Once her face stops swelling, and her cuts heal, she'll be as good as new."

Lancelot sighed and said in relief, "That's good."

Sarmatia and her secret lover-to-be turned to the girl and looked her over. She had vivid blue eyes and curly black hair. Lancelot couldn't help but think that she looked enough like him and Sarmatia to pass as their daughter.

He blushed and quickly swept that thought aside as he asked in a soft, reassuring tone, "What's your name child?"

The girl gazed up at him with adoring eyes and said in a hoarse whisper, "Sebille, My Lord."

Lancelot and Sarmatia smiled at her and Sarmatia said softly as she gently caressed the girls dark curls so much like her own and Lancelot's, "You are definitely a fairy as you name suggests, my little one. And when you awaken, it'll be time to eat and a warm bath, how's that?"

Sebille nodded and quickly fell into a deep healing sleep.

Lancelot sighed and said as they exited the wagon, "How anyone could do that to a child…I…"

He turned to Sarmatia and said in a horribly, hysterical voice that conveyed to her more about Lancelot's feelings about their current situation than anything else, "I know I said it, but I really think we are doing the right thing it's just…"

Sarmatia shushed him and said soothingly as she held him close to her heart, "I know, I know."

Sarmatia looked up from her caresses, when she felt a familiar green gaze filled with concern upon her. She glanced up and nodded to Arthur. He nodded back with gratefulness in his eyes. She knew that he wanted to be there for Lancelot right then, but he still had to check up on their wounded survivors first.

As Arthur entered the wagon, he glanced once more at Lancelot. His best friend was troubled and Arthur felt horrible guilty for not being there to comfort him, but he was also grateful and slightly jealous of Sarmatia being there for his First Knight instead.

When he turned towards is healer, Dagonet bowed his head and said in greetings, "Arthur."

Arthur cast his gaze to the boy and asked, "How is he?"

Dagonet sighed and answered as he placed a cool rag over the boy's fevered face, "He burns. Brave boy."

Arthur nodded and then turned towards the two females. The child Sarmatia and Lancelot had rescued was sleeping-he was glad. She didn't deserve the pain she had lived through-none of them deserved it, but a girl-child was just that much more evil.

He edged closer to the Woad woman and said in a claming voice as she scooted away warily from his helping hands, "Some of your fingers are out of place. I have to push them back."

He added when she still didn't move towards him, "If I don't do this, there's a chance you may never use them again."

He felt a jolt of pride when she allowed him to push her fingers back into place. When he was done, she collapsed against him and said as she gazed into his eyes with her own pain-filled amber ones, "They tortured me with machines. To make me tell them things that...that I didn't know to begin with. And then...I heard your voice in the dark."

She paused and added on like she wasn't to sure about what she was going to tell him next, "I am Guinevere. You are Arthur...of the Knights from the Great Wall."

Arthur wasn't to sure he liked how she was staring at him in contempt but replied evenly enough-after all she deserved to know who had rescued her from that hellhole Honourius placed her in no matter what Woad or not, "I am."

At his answer she continued on more strongly before she fell asleep against his armored chest, "The famous Briton who kills his own people."

Meanwhile back at the mansion as some Saxons dragged the priests forward, a black-hared man reported to a tall blond hared leader, "I found tracks coming from the south, but none going back; horsemen traveling light and fast."

The man shrugged and added, "Could be Roman cavalry."

Then he said in a tone that held a bit more caution and awe in it, "Could be knights."

The long hared leader shot the black-hared man a scratching look as he said to the men gathered around him, "They know we're after them."

The same black-hared man replied promptly, "They'll head east now, through the mountains."

Before a younger man could say anything, one of the priests blurted out, "God's holy work has been defiled. I am a servant of God! No, please, I... Agh!"

The priest held his stomach in pain as one of his Saxon captors punched him harshly in the gullet and answered, "He says they walled him up in a building and took the family."

The second Saxon guard added as the first was to busy playing with the downed priest, "Someone who goes by the name of Artorius."

The black-hared man sucked in his breath as he looked into the leaders eyes and said in a hushed whisper, "It's him."

"It's Arthur."

The leader nodded, turned to the younger bald-hared man and ordered, "Take your men east. Hunt them down. I'll take the main army to the wall. Bring the family there."

The bald second-n-command nodded and stated curiously, "And the monks?"

The leader replied with an air of blandness, "Put them back where you found them."

The priests cried out in fear, "I am a servant of God! Please, I... I am a servant of God!"

In one last attempt to be courageous, one of the priests yelled out, "Unhand me, you defiler!"

The leader sighed in relieved satisfaction and ordered, "Burn it all."

As Arthur rode closely to the wagon, he turned to gaze at the woman he had rescued. He couldn't deny that she was beautiful even with her wounds and malnourishment, but there was something about her that caused him to be wary of her.

Lancelot and Sarmatia, who rode beside him, glanced at one another, rolled their eyes, and together called out, "Yah!"

Arthur's head spun around in shock as his friends rushed off and left him to the mercies of the Woad woman.

He turned back to her when she said in a casual voice, "My father told me great tales of you."

He snorted and replied in a non-caring tone, "Really, and what did you hear?"

She smiled lightly at him and answered in a thoughtful tone, "Fairy tales; The kind you hear about people so brave, so selfless, that they can't be real. Arthur and his knights."

Then her eyes narrowed and her voice grew slightly more dangerous, "A leader both Briton and Roman. And yet you chose your allegiance to Rome. To those who take what does not belong to them."

She still continued in a voice that raised his ire to dangerous levels, "That same Rome that took your men from their homeland."

He retorted angrily because he already knew all this and didn't need her to remind him after all Lancelot had said to prove his point to him after all their times together, "Listen, lady, do not pretend you know anything about me or my men."

She eyed him coolly but demanded, "How many Britons have you killed?"

He sighed but replied, "As many as tried to kill me. It's the natural state of any man to want to live."

She snorted and said in a strong commanding tone, "Animals live! It's a natural state of any man to want to live free in their own country."

Then her voice softened as she continued, "I belong to this land. Where do you belong, Arthur?"

Areia and Galahad, who were traveling just behind the wagon, looked to each other in worry. This woman was unnerving Arthur, and in all his years with his roman commander, Galahad had never seen Arthur look so lost. He wanted to yell at the Woad woman. He wanted her to leave his friend and commander alone, but at the same time he wanted her to bring Arthur out of his dream world, and into the real world. Areia smiled at Guinevere's words. Her Ladyship's prophecy about Arthur and Guinevere was in the process of finally coming true. She couldn't wait for the wedding!

Arthur cleared his throat and asked, "How's your hand?"

Guinevere smiled at his change to topic but replied honestly enough, "I'll live, I promise you."

As she gazed out across the blue wintry lands of her homeland she asked gently, "Is there nothing about my land that appeals to your heart? Your own father married a Briton. Even he must have found something to his liking."

Arthur said nothing, but shook his reigns to rejoin his Knights and his Amazonian followers as they grouped together just ahead of the caravan.

When he reached his Knights, he said, "We'll sleep here. Take shelter in those trees."

He turned towards his two scouts, and said as he, unconsciously, marveled at the thought of them being married, "Tristan, Theaia."

The scout couple tapped their feathered friends under their beaks and asked softly, "You wanna go out again? Yeah."- "Let's go flying, eh?"

Athena, who had up until now, remained close to Gawain as they discussed his fading memories of Sarmatia, eyed the gathered Romans warily as she set up her tent nearby. She wanted to keep an eye on Marius Honourius because she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him.

Her eyes narrowed as a tiny piece of their conversation floated up to her with the help of the breeze, " It is here, given to us by the Pope. These people, they send an army for us."

Guinevere sighed in contentment. For now she was in a warm bath and being cleansed of all the aches and pains she had suffered at Marius' hands. She smiled at the wife of Marius and was rewarded with one back. Truly, this shell of a woman was as gentle as a newborn lamb, and didn't deserve the hate she felt for her husband.

At the sound of a splash and a giggle, she turned and saw the curly black-hared woman washing little Sebille. Guinevere had to smile at the warmth the two black-headed females were already sharing with one another.

As she rested her arms on the wood tub, she asked, "What is your name? How are you connected to Arthur and his Knights?"

Sarmatia, who was in the tub with Sebille now had soap and water drowning her hair, peaked through her wet curls and answered with a welcoming smile towards her unknowing-future-queen, "I am the High Princess Sarmatia of the Amazon Nation. There is a prophecy that says we shall follow the man who would be king. I and the other Princesses of the Amazon Tribes believe Arthur to be this king. We follow him to make sure he will become King."

Guinevere blinked at that. So others knew what her father, Merlin, knew of Arthur too. That was a surprise.

As she opened her mouth to ask another question, a man's figure caught her attention from the corner of her eye.

Her mouth dropped open in shock. It was the second man who had found her. The one with curly black hair like Sebille and Sarmatia's. He glanced at her quickly, but his attention was just as quickly drawn back to her new friend and the girl in the tub. Guinevere watched as his brown-black orbs gazed hungrily at Sarmatia and paternally at Sebille. When he caught her looking at him, he blushed, tilted his head down, and quickly walked away.

Guinevere turned when she heard a sigh of disappointment.

Sarmatia was staring at the black-hared man's former place with longing desire in her eyes.

Arthur was tired. But, unfortunately he couldn't find a nice enough knoll to sleep on. Plus, his emotions as of late were not exactly what one would call amicable to sleep with. He was a torrent of emotions: worry, anger, fear, frustration, hope, jealousy, envy, and even lust.

As he tilted his head back to try and sleep, a tiny crack caught his attention.

He felt his mouth go dry as he spied Guinevere walk by him in a revealing blue gown.

As they reached a clearing, she turned to him and watched as Merlin appeared from the shadows.

Arthur pulled Excalibur from its sheath and roared, "You betrayed me."

Guinevere replied, "He means you no harm."

When Arthur opened his mouth to retort, Merlin cut in, "Peace between us this night, Arthur Castus."

He continued with a purpose, "So Rome is leaving. The Saxon is come. The world we have known and fought for is ended."

He ended righteously, "Now we must make a new world."

Arthur cut in harshly, "Your world, Merlin, not mine. I shall be in Rome."

Merlin interrupted with a sarcastic wave, "To find peace? The Saxon will come to Rome."

Arthur placed Excalibur in between him and Merlin and said, "My knights trust me not to betray them to their enemy."

Merlin shook his head and countered, "Rome was my enemy, not Arthur. We have no fight between us now."

Arthur replied with wild eyes, "You tell that to the knights you killed before my eyes, whose bones are buried in this earth."

Merlin shook his head and said in understanding, "We have all lost brothers."

Arthur roared back, "You know nothing of the loss I speak! Shall I help you remember? An attack on a village. The screams of an innocent woman."

_A young Arthur runs to his home in fear, "Mother!"_

_"Artorius!"_

_"Mother!"_

_"Mother!"_

Arthur continued, "I ran to the burial mound of my father to free her."

Arthur ended dangerously, "To kill you."

_"Father, please let loose your sword."_

Arthur ended as he placed his sword near Merlin's heart, ""I feel the heat of that fire on my face even now."

Merlin shook his head in sadness and replied, "I did not wish her dead. She was of our blood, as are you."

Guinevere cut in pompously, "If you were so determined to leave us to slaughter, why did you save so many?"

Merlin continued as if Guinevere had never spoken, "My men are strong, but they have need of a true leader. They believe you can do anything. To defeat the Saxon we need a master of war."

Merlin ended as he stared Arthur down, "Why do you think I spared you in the forest? That sword you carry is made of iron from this earth, forged in the fires of Britain. It was love of your mother that freed the sword, not hatred of me. Love, Arthur."

Arthur shook his head and marched away. He couldn't believe what Merlin wanted him to do. He had, had enough of wars and fighting. All he wanted was peace. As he marched back to his tree, he saw Sarmatia and Lancelot standing a few feet from him. Each had their weapons out and both of them were staring at him-Lancelot with understanding and Sarmatia with sympathy. He nodded towards them, but said nothing as he sat back down-this time sleep came more easily to him.

The next morning as Athena woke up, she spied Marius and his Roman hired bodyguards shuffling closer to Dagonet, Lucan, and Romana.

Before she could sound an alarm, Marius ordered, "Seize him!"

Lucan shouted out in fear as he was pulled away from Romana and Dagonet's side, "No!"

Romana moaned as she held her sword out pointed towards Marius, "No...Lucan…"

As Dagonet roared in defiance, Marius called out in superiority, "I have the boy!"

Marius stared at Dagonet and Romana with what he saw as superior standing and said carelessly, "Kill him!"

Before Romana, Dagonet, or Athena, who was also armed and facing the Roman troops, could do anything Fulucina, Marius' gentle wife cried out as she wrapped her arms around her husband's fatty ones, "No, don't! Let him go!"

Marius threw his wife off him and ordered ecstatically, "Kill him now!"

Before his men could fulfill his commands, an arrow was shot from the shadows and punctured Marius straight through his heart-just an inch or two above Lucan's head.

Romana screamed in relief as the boy she and Dagonet saw as a son ran to them. Dagonet pushed him down as he said, "Down! Hah!"

Guinevere pursed her lips together as she shot another arrow into the ground in warning as the mercenaries took a step closer and Arthur, Sarmatia, and Lancelot appeared beside her.

Lancelot smirked and said with his swords resting on his shoulders, "Your hands seem to be better."

Then they were interrupted when Bors came riding in with his sword waving above his head in an imitation-like charge, "Artorius!"

As he came to a stop, he asked dangerously, "Do we have a problem? Huh?"

Arthur shook his head and said darkly, "You have a choice. You help or you die."

The leader of the mercenaries looked around him nervously. Seven Knights and eight women were armed and each arrow in the women's bows were loaded and pointed directly at him and his men.

He nodded and ordered, "Put down your weapons. Do it now!"

From his place guarding Lucan, Dagonet yelled out in challenge, "Yeah!"

Then from the woods came two horses. Upon those horses were Tristan and Theaia. They each carried a weapon that looked like the lance throwers from their earlier confrontation with them-but much smaller and compact.

Bors asked with a cheerful grin, "How many did you kill?"

Tristan answered, "Eight, four a piece."

Bors laughed out right and exclaimed, "Not a bad start to the day!"

Tristan snorted, threw down the machine and said seriously, "Armor-piercing. They're close. We have no time."

Arthur stood straight and ordered with a strong nod, "You ride ahead."

After a full day of riding, Arthur once again found himself riding close to a wagon. This time it held Alecto and Fulucina Honourius.

Arthur sighed and said as he looked into the younger boy's eyes, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Alecto replied, "My father lost his way. He used to say the Church is there to help us stay on our path."

Alecto looked down and ended, "It didn't help those he made suffer."

Arthur said in a tone he hoped was supporting of the Church and assuring to the boy himself, "The path he chose was beyond the reach of the Church, Alecto."

Alecto shook his head and said forcefully, "But not of Rome. What my father believed, so Rome believes."

Arthur winced but retorted kindly, "What, that some men are born to be slaves? No, that isn't true."

Alecto reinforced, "It is so! He told me so."

In one last attempt to prove his faith in his country, Arthur said, "Pelagius, a man as close to me as any, is there now, teaching that all men are free, equal. And that each of us has the right to choose his own destiny."

Alecto shook his head and asked with wide confused eyes, "Teach? How? They killed Pelagius a year past. Germanous and the others were damned by his teachings. They had him excommunicated and killed."

He ended gently, "The Rome you talk of doesn't exist, except in your dreams."

Late in the day, as the Knights circled Tristan, Arthur asked, "Is there any other way?"

Theaia shook her head and said as she got off her horse and held her reigns tightly, "No. We have to cross the ice."

Sarmatia turned to her ladies and ordered, "Get them all out of the carriages. Tell them to spread out."

Everyone was silent as they edged their way across the ice. With every creek and groan, the women held their children closer and the men closed their eyes. The Knights and Amazons looked at one another as the drums grew louder and louder as the land between the two groups grew alarmingly short.

Arthur sighed, "Knights..."

Bors stated first as Guinevere joined them, "Well, I'm tired of running. And these Saxons are so close behind my ass is hurtin'."

Tristan looked at his wife of a few weeks and said shortly as he stared into her eyes, "Never liked looking over my shoulder anyway."

Gawain held Athena's hand and said as he glanced around him at his brothers and the other Amazons, "Be a pleasure to put an end to this racket."

Galahad and Areia said together with wide grins, "And finally get a look at the bastards."

Galahad shot his lover an odd look as she smiled and pecked his lips quickly in response.

Dagonet shook his head and said as he retrieved his and Romana's weapons from their horses, "Here. Now."

Lancelot shook his head but commanded, "Jols!"

As Jols rushed to the wagon that held the Knights heavy-duty weapons, he ordered to servants beside him, "You two, take the horses."

As Ganis came up to the Knights to join them in battle, Arthur replied, "Ganis, I need you to lead the people. The main Saxon army is inland, so if you track the coastline till you're well south of the wall, you'll be safe."

Ganis protested, "But you're seven against…"

Sarmatia corrected, "Ah…make that thirteen…"

Guinevere interrupted, "Fourteen, you could use another bow."

As Arthur and the other prepared to defend those who they were sworn to protect, Ganis arrived by Arthur again and announced, "I'd rather stay and fight."

Arthur placed his hand on Ganis' shoulder and said confidently, "You'll get your chance soon enough."

He looked at the mercenaries and ordered, "This man is now your captain. You do as he says. Am I understood?"

The mercenaries pursed their lips, but the leader said, "Yes, sir."

Ganis nodded and shouted as he waved his hand forward to order the group on wards, "Go, Go! Right, come on, then! Move on!"

As this was occurring, Alecto appeared at Arthur's side and said as his mother watched on worriedly, "I am able. I can fight."

Arthur shook his head and said, "No, you must bear witness to all you have seen. There's one thing you must do, and that's get back to Rome."

At the same time, Sebille jumped out of her wagon and threw her arms around Lancelot's legs as she begged, "Please! Don't go! I'll be a good girl! Please don't leave me!"

Lancelot blinked in shock as he stared into those vivid blue eyes. He glanced up and saw the others eyeing him with sympathy-Bors especially.

He knelt down and said softly as he wrapped the young girl he was starting to think of as his own in a hug and said, "I will not leave you Sebille. But I must help the others protect these people and you too. They are counting on the others and I. You must be a strong girl and go with Miss Fulucina and get to safety. Sarmatia and I will see you after the battle, eh?"

Sebille sniffed and said as Sarmatia reached down and picked her up for a great big hug, "I will…I p'omise!"

Lancelot placed a kiss on the top of her head and said, "That's my girl!"

Sarmatia kissed her cheek and said, "Go now, my little one."

Sebille smiled with tearful, trembling lips and nodded as she scampered off and into the wagon that housed the nice roman woman.

As the fourteen defenders lined up, Arthur commanded as the Saxons came into visual range in the lake valley, "Hold until I give the command."

Lancelot, who was standing between Sarmatia and Guinevere, turned to Sarmatia and said with a smirk, "You look frightened. There are a large number of lonely men out there."

Sarmatia pursed her lips and was about to retort when Guinevere interrupted with a teasing smirk of her own, "Don't worry, we won't let them rape you."

The Knights and the Amazons swallowed their laughs as the Saxon leader commanded, "Archer!"

The women smiled as the archer came forward and released his arrow. It flew through the air and landed in the middle of the two groups and skidded to a stop twenty feet away from the Knights and their lady loves.

The archer turned and reported, "We're out of range."

The bald-hared leader, Cynric, exclaimed heatedly, "I can see that!"

Arthur looked at his men from the corner of his eye and said in a conversational tone, "I believe they're waiting for an invitation. Bors, Tristan…"

Sarmatia added with a wicked looking smile, "Yes, have at it Theaia, Athena!"

Guinevere looked at the two with disbelieving eyes and exclaimed as she pointed towards the large Saxon group, "They're far out of range."

Arthur smirked superiorly as he asked lightly despite the serious situation they found themselves in, "Haven't you ever wondered how my Knights and I defeated your people when we were almost always outnumbered three to one???"

Sarmatia rolled her eyes at Lancelot, who was smirking at the two, and commanded, "Aim for the wings of the ranks. Make them cluster."

As the men and women shot arrow after arrow, Cynric, who saw what his men were doing and more importantly that they were panicking, **on ic**e, shouted angrily, "Hold the ranks! Hold the ranks! Hold the ranks!"

He lieutenants echoed his commands sharply as they continued to march across the frozen river, "Hold the ranks! _Hold the ranks!_**Hold the ranks!**"

Cynric still ordered, "Hold the ranks, or I kill you myself!"

As Arthur reached down to grab another handful of arrow, he felt the ice and its thickness and shouted out in alarm as he stepped back and gripped Excalibur, "It's not gonna break. Back. Fall back! Prepare for combat."

As the Knights and the Amazons reached for their close combat weapons, and Guinevere released yet another arrow into the Saxon hoard, Dagonet who was itching for battle, dropped his sword and grabbed his axe instead.

Romana, who was beside him, saw what he did and said as her vision came back to her in a flash of power, screams, and colors, "Oh hell no! I don't think so!"

She spun around, grabbed the shield that was behind her and rushed out after him as Bors shouted out at the same time Dagonet hit the ice with his battle-axe, "Dag!"

Arthur yelled as the two, Dagonet hit the ice once again and Romana covered him with her shield, "Cover him!"

Cynric yelled at his men to shoot the two down, and as Dagonet swung a third and final time breaking the ice, Lancelot yelled, "The ice is breaking!"

Dagonet shouted as an arrow pierce the shield and hit him in the shoulder, "Yaagh!"

Romana cried out in fear, "Dagonet! Dagonet! Speak to me! Please!"

Cynric yelled at his men in anger, "Kill them!"

Bors yelled in fear as he grabbed his own shield and rushed out to the center of the lake that was currently cracking, in an attempt to cover his friends, "Dag!"

Dagonet groaned as the ice broke under him and Romana and dragged them down into the frozen waters below, "Yaagh! Romana…"

She met his eyes and whispered sadly, with a tiny smile, "Dagonet…"

Arthur didn't even think. He ran out into the fray as well and as he reached his two soldiers, Lancelot cried out, "Back! Back!"

Bors, who had dropped his shield, reached into the frozen water with Arthur and yelled out as his hand fisted the cloth of Dagonet's cape and Arthur's fisted Romana's, "Dag!"

Lancelot screamed in fear as his best friend nearly fell into the waters, "Pull back! Arthur!"

Dagonet groaned as Bors accidentally pulled his wound, "Argh!"

Cynric ordered as more of his men fell beneath the ice, "Kill him!"

As he pulled Dagonet out of the cracking ice and Arthur did the same with Romana, Bors yelled back behind him towards the others, "Help us!"

Romana groaned as Galahad, Areia, Tristan, and Theaia rushed out to help pull their friends back to the safety of the lake's dry lands, "Aagh!"

Sarmatia rushed to their sides, placed her fingers at the neck and said as she pulled the arrow out of Dagonet's shoulder, "They'll live! But we need to bind this and get them into warm, dry clothes!"

As night fell upon, the group of tired men and women, they came upon the slowly traveling caravan. As the reached the healing wagon, Sarmatia said warily, "Place them inside and cove them with the furs. It's all we can do until we get to the wall."

Arthur nodded and said determinedly as he met each of his followers' eyes, "We ride **ALL** night."

Sebille, who had strived to remain awake as long as was needed until she saw her father and mother again, smiled and exclaimed as she jumped out if the wagon and landed in Lancelot's arms, "Daddy!"

Lancelot's mouth dropped open at her words. He felt tears well up in his eyes, but stubbornly held them back as he said with a watery smile as Sarmatia joined them with her own wet eyes, "Didn't mummy and daddy say we'd be back, little one?"

Sebille nodded cheerfully as she lunged into Sarmatia's arms and said, "Yep! You came back! You didn't leave me!"

Lancelot closed his eyes and said as he held both females in his arms, "No, we didn't leave you, my precious one."

Arthur smiled at the three while everyone else fretted over Dagonet and Romana. It lightened his heart to see such love in a desolate time in their lives. He took hope and faith from it, and prayed to the guardian above…_please, lets us __**ALL**__ survive this…my Lady…_

Two hours after dawn the next day, they reached Hadrian's Wall.

As they entered their stables, Bishop Germanous, who was awaiting them with a fake smile cheered as they dismounted their horses, "Ah, God! Christ be praised. Against all the odds Satan could muster."

As Alecto exited the wagon that held the pale, shaking forms of Dagonet and Romana, Germanous cried out happily, "Alecto, let me see you."

Alecto shivered at him and said in a hard tone as Galahad and Gawain removed the still unconscious form of Dagonet and carried him to the Healing Chambers and Areia and Theaia did the same with Romana's pale blue body, "Kindly get out of my way!"

The Bishop steadfastly ignored him and continued, "You have triumphed! Young Alecto let me see you. You are here!"

Alecto eyed him in fear and was very grateful to feel his mother wrap her arms around him.

Lucan, who had ridden in the other wagon with Sebille and Guinevere jumped out ran after his father and mother.

Guinevere shouted out in alarm, "Lucan!"

As Lucan rushed to his parental figures, three roman soldiers pulled out their weapons and demanded, "You, boy! Stop!"

The Romans froze as Bors placed his wrist knives at the Romans' throats.

Bishop Germanous laughed nervously as the remaining Knights and Amazons glared at him and said as cheerfully as he possibly could, "Our great knights. You are free now! Give me the papers. Come, come."

He continued as Lancelot ripped the pieces of paper from their holdings and started to hand them out to his brothers, "Your papers of safe conduct throughout the Roman Empire."

He ended softly as Arthur marched up to him and stared him in the eyes, "Take it, Arthur."

Arthur stared at him with unnerving green eyes and said dangerously and softly as he walked right passed him, "Bishop Germanous, friend of my father."

Germanous' chuckles dwindled as he spoke to Lancelot who was holding Sebille protectively in his arms, "You are free now. You can go."

Sarmatia took Sebille from Lancelot and said softly, "Take it to Bors for Dagonet. It'll give him a positive reason to see Dagonet."

Lancelot nodded and said as he held the piece of paper out to the father of eleven, "Bors…Bors!"

When the older Knights met his gaze, Lancelot added more gently, "For Dagonet…"

Bors grabbed the paper that granted them their freedom and said in a loud voice and met the Bishop's eyes squarely, "This doesn't make him a free man. He was already a free man days ago! If he dies now…."

Guinevere, who had remained quiet, watched Arthur as he left the courtyard. As silently as she had been taught, she followed him. She followed him right into a graveyard.

When she found Arthur, he was knelling next to a grave with no sword protruding out of it. She had a feeling that **THIS** was the grave of Uther Castus, Arthur's father.

She knelt down beside him, placed her chin in her right hand and simply stated softly, "A grave with no sword."

Arthur acknowledged her as he explained, "It was my father's wish that if he died on this island, he would be buried with his knights."

Guinevere asked gently, "He died in battle?"

Arthur snorted and said wryly, "It's a family tradition."

The daughter of Merlin looked about her and said as she tried to imagine all the men who had lost their lives because Rome ordered them to fight against her own people, the Woads, "I can see why you believe that you have nothing left here. Except what you and your knights have done."

She added in an attempt to instill hope in him, "You have your deeds."

Arthur explained passionately as he stared at her willing her to understand what he was thinking at the exact moment, "Deeds in themselves are meaningless unless they're for some higher purpose. We have waged a war to protect a Rome that does not exist. Is that the deed I am to be judged by?"

Guinevere replied gently but with force, "You stayed and fought when you didn't have to. You bloodied evil men when you could have run. You did all that for no reason?"

She reached up and held his face in her hands as she said softly, lovingly, "These are your people."

Jols interrupted them by shouting, "Arthur, come to the wall now."

As Arthur rushed to the top of the Wall's battlements, he saw Lancelot and Sarmatia looking over the stonewalls with wide eyes. Both sets of brown and violet were wide with horror.

A roman wall guard said unneeded as Arthur rushed by him with Guinevere following behind him, "The Saxons are here."

Another guard shouted, "Make way! Make way!"

As he and Guinevere gazed at the thousands of Saxons lining up at the wall, Arthur turned around and met each of his Knights eyes. They were filled with dread and hope. He knew they wanted to go home. In fact, **HE** wanted them to go home too! He also knew that the Amazons were to fight for **HIM**, and no matter what they felt for his Knights, they would stay here to fight. He wasn't thrilled with that because he knew his knights loved the women under his command. But he didn't know what to do. Sarmatia lead them-for the most part, and her place was by his side-to make him King.

He sighed as he gazed out at the poor serfs that made a living at the wall-he ha to protect them, he couldn't run. Which meant, that the Amazons would stay and his Knights would be heartbroken.

He gazed deeply into Lancelot's eyes and said sadly, "Knights, my journey with you must end here. May God go with you."

Sarmatia, who was still holding Sebille close to her, watched with sadden eyes as Lancelot shook his head and chased after Arthur, "Arthur, this is not Rome's fight. It is not your fight. Stand fast!"

Arthur froze and turned back to Lancelot as his friend continued, "All these long years we've been together, the trials we've faced, the blood we've shed. What was it all for, if not for the reward of freedom? And now when we are so close, when it is finally within our grasp..."

Arthur couldn't bare to see the pain in Lancelot's eyes so he turned to walk away, but Lancelot knew him to well.

His First Knight gripped his shoulder and spun him around as he continued with wet eyes and a pleading face, "Look at me!"

He added helplessly, "Does it all count for nothing?"

Arthur looked at hi with wounded eyes and asked softly, "You ask me that? You who know me best of all?"

Lancelot sighed and pleaded again as he stared deeply into Arthur eye's, into Arthur's pure soul, "Then do not do this. Only certain death awaits you here. Arthur, I beg you! For our friendship's sake, I beg you!"

Arthur shook his head, placed his hand around Lancelot's neck and said passionately as an idea came to him, "You be my friend now and do not dissuade me. Seize the freedom you have earned and live it for the both of us."

He glanced behind Lancelot and saw two very pretty black-hared women and added, "Live and have many children with Sarmatia! I cannot follow you, Lancelot. I now know that all the blood I have shed, all the lives I have taken have led me to this moment."

As the Knights packed, their ladyloves watched them from the doorway.

Lancelot sighed and said in a knowing tone towards Sarmatia, "You will stay and make Arthur a king."

Sarmatia swallowed her tears and said, "That is why we are here to begin with, don'cha remember."

She entered his room, and sat down gently on his bed, and added as she caressed the tiny black head that slept on Lancelot's favorite blanket, "You will take her with you?"

Lancelot nodded and said, "Yes, I will tell my family that she is mine from a girl here."

Sarmatia let the tears fall, and said as she placed a loving kiss on Sebille's head, "I cannot see her and tell her goodbye. I will not be seeing you off. You'll take care of her and yourself?"

Lancelot placed a hand on her shoulder and said as he gave her a sizzling kiss that made both their souls tremble in longing, "I will, I promise."

In Galahad's room, Areia crossed her arms and said, "You know I'm staying, so don't even try to dissuade me. You knew this when we first arrived. I will **NOT** deviate from my duty just for you Galahad."

As Galahad opened his mouth to retort, she stormed out.

Galahad blinked and fell to his bed as tears fell from his blue eyes silently.

Gawain stared at Athena and sighed. He didn't even bother to try and stop her. He knew she wouldn't listen to him. He simply wrapped her in his arms, hugged her close, and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. When they parted he said, "Just don't die…"

Dagonet and Romana were still unconscious as Bors and Vanora appeared to transfer Dagonet from the room to the wagon they had commandeered for the journey back to Sarmatia.

"And what of Romana?" asked Vanora tearfully as she placed a blond lock of hair behind the sleeping woman's ear.

Bors sighed and said gruffly as he threw Dagonet over his back like a sack of potatoes, "She has to stay here. It's her duty. No matter how much I want to take her with us…"

Tristan and Theaia stared at one another in silence.

"You are my wife."

"I am also a Princess of the Amazons sworn to fight alongside Arthur and to see him become King."

"You will die here."

"Perhaps…"

"Don't die."

"I won't."

"You'll find me in Sarmatia?"

"I will…"

As the sun started to rise over the green hills of Badon Hill, the Knights of Sarmatia slowly left the future battlefield. Each man felt as if their hearts were bring ripped from their chests and then trampled under their horses' hooves.

Lancelot studiously ignores his friend's standard and body on top of his war steed and his lover, Sarmatia, astride her own horse proudly beside him with the others behind them. He closed his eyes as his child, Sebille, cried and cried out for her mommy.

He was torn.

He wanted to see his homeland and family again, but he didn't want to leave Arthur and Sarmatia to do it. He also didn't want to leave them here to their fate either.

Bors wasn't through with Arthur though.

He trotted out of the caravan's line, raised his sword into the air, and yelled, "Artorius!!! Ruuuuuusssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!"

As he grew silent, the other Knights, Lancelot included, turned back around and stared at Arthur.

After a moment, Arthur and the Amazons, raised their own weapons and cried back, "Rrrruuuuuuuuuussssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

As Cerdic and his High Council met in the center of their armies set up point, the black-hared from before ran up to him and gasped out, "The Roman Auxiliary has left the wall."

Cynric asked sharply, "And the horsemen?"

The black-hared spy replied with a tiny smile, "Leading a caravan away from the fort. They're running south...with their tails between their legs."

Cynric nodded and said proudly, "So there will be no resistance."

The spy shrugged and replied, "A few dozen villagers."

Cerdic cut in sharply as he glared at the turncoat that had been of great help to him, "We're going to slaughter your people. I think you should watch. Your tree might be a good place."

Then a councilman shouted as he pointed up a hill, "Up on the hill!"

Cynric shrugged and said exasperatedly, "A single knight, father."

He grabbed the spy's throat, squeezed it, as he asked perilously, "Didn't you just say they were gone? What is this, a ghost?"

The spy gasped out as his hand closed around the Saxon's, "One man. A tiny fly on the back of your... great army."

Cerdic demanded as his son released the spy, "Who is he?"

The spy cleared his throat and answered warily, "Arthur…"

Cerdic echoed thoughtfully, "Arthur…Arthur…Arthur…"

Then Cerdic clapped his hands and said, "Get the white flag. I will talk with him."

Upon the hill, Arthur saw a man waving a white flag in his direction. He knew that the Saxons did not want peace, but he was curious as to what their leader wanted, so he said, "Shall we go see what he wants Sarmatia?"

Sarmatia nodded and together they galloped down to the black-hared man and the long, muddy, blond-hared man.

He began as he eyed the armored man in a red cape, "Hmm… Wherever I go on this wretched island I hear your name. Always half-whispered, as if you were a...god."

He sneered at Sarmatia and continued as he eyed the Roman man upon his warhorse, "All I see is flesh, blood. No more god than the creature you're sitting on."

Arthur cut in harshly, "Speak your terms, Saxon."

Cerdic blinked but stated in a hoarse voice, "The Romans have left you. Who are you fighting for?"

Arthur glanced at the raven hared woman beside him and glanced into the woods where another beauty awaited his signal and said righteously, "I fight for a cause beyond Rome's or your understanding."

Cerdic was silent for a moment before he smiled evilly and stated as he pointed towards the ground with his sword, "Ah, you come to beg a truce. You should be on your knees."

Arthur placed the tip of Excalibur under Cerdic's neck and said dangerously, "I came to see your face, so that I alone may find you on the battlefield. And it would be good for you to mark my face, Saxon, for the next time you see it, it will be the last thing you see on this earth."

With that he and Sarmatia, who had remained remarkably silent during the whole meeting, turned and galloped back into the wall's protective boundaries.

Cerdic sighed and said as he pounded his chest proudly, "Ah, ah, finally…A man worth killing."

When he reached his men, he shouted his orders, "Ah! Prepare the men for battle!"

As the drums reverberated throughout the valley, the horses the Knights rode upon started to jump and toss their heads as they turned to face the on coming battle.

Each Knight gripped their reigns in shock as they tried to calm their war steeds, "Whoa." (Bors)

"Easy." (Gawain)

"Whoa." (Galahad)

"Whoa." (Tristan)

"Ssshhhh…" (Dagonet)

"Ssshhhh..." (Lancelot)

In that moment, each Knight remembered just who and what they were. They were men of honor. They have fought to protect this land for fifteen years. This land that they thought they hated, they had unknowingly grown to love. In that moment, they realized that they couldn't leave it or Arthur and their lovers. Lancelot grinned and the others followed suit.

He turned to his daughter and smiled sadly. She was already crying, but she smiled bravely up at him and said, "Don't die, daddy…"

He placed a kiss on her forehead and said, "I'll try not to…"

Vanora smiled and said, "Don't you worry none, Lancelot. I'll watch her well enough."

Lancelot winked at her as Bors' children waved at their father sadly yet proudly.

Tristan tapped his hawk under his beak and said as Dagonet, who was up and about under stern disapproval from him and the other Knights, lifted the canvas from their weapons wagon, "Hey, you're free."

Then he pulled out his bow and stretched the string as the others quickly armored up.

Cerdic tapped the bread he was eating against his open palm as he said, "He's got a plan, this Roman."

He leaned towards his son and ordered, "Send what's left of your infantry."

Cynric gripped his sword and asked in shock, "Do you want to kill my men?"

Cerdic roared, "They're my men!"

As Cynric made to move with his men, Cerdic said, "No. You stay here with me."

Arthur was sick with worry. They were seriously outnumbered, and for the first time in his life, he was riding out into battle without Lancelot's familiar presence beside him. He wasn't sure he could so this. He had been truthful when he had told Lancelot earlier that with Lancelot by his side he could defeat anyone and thing.

Just as he prayed for Lancelot to once more grace him with his presence, Sarmatia gasped out, "Lancelot!"

Arthur spun around in his saddle as Lancelot came to a stop beside him and gave him a wondrous smile that was all his. Arthur returned the smile wholeheartedly and said, "I'm so glad you came back!"

He shrugged and said, "Ah, I couldn't let you go into battle alone…you'd probably end up dead, and then where would I be? If I'm not mistaken, you are the only one I know who can deal with me when I' m in one of those rages…eh?

Arthur burst out laughing as he and the Amazons heard more rumbles in the earth underneath their horses' hooves. Arthur and the girls looked at him in hope. He grinned and tilted his head to look behind him.

"Galahad!" (Areia)

"Gawain!" (Athena)

"Dagonet! Bors!" (Romana)

"Tristan!" (Theaia)

Arthur looked at his Knights and said to them proudly as they awaited his orders one last time, "Knights, the gift of freedom is yours by right. But the home we seek resides not in some distant land. It's in us and in our actions on this day. If this be our destiny, then so be it."

He pulled out Excalibur and ended delightfully, "But let history remember that as free men we chose to make it so."

"Rrruuuussssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!" cried his men as they thrusted their pendants into the soft emerald grass.

"Hah!" they cried out as they raced through the battlefield and smoke that made them invisible to human eyes.

Sarmatia gasped as a Saxon sword cut deeply into her upper arm. She twirled around and out of the range of the sword, and caught her breath. As she gathered her remaining strength, she saw Guinevere battle the man from the lake and knew that this was the moment she was waiting for. With a mighty heave, she thrusted her swords into the Saxon's belly and viciously ripped them out.

As he lay dying, Sarmatia flew to Guinevere's aid. As she passed by Lancelot she said, "Go! Tristan needs you!"

Lancelot's head snapped up and he spun around to see what his lover was talking about. There in breaking smoke, he spied Tristan warily circling the Saxon-King, Cerdic. He unconsciously blocked a few clumsy strokes from a young and inexperienced Saxons warrior, and searched for Arthur and Theaia. He found Arthur beheading a Saxon who had come up on Gawain from behind, and Theaia was with Athena helping her to fight off three very large and very strong Saxon warriors. With a nod, he ran through the fires and reached Tristan's side just as he fell to the ground weakly.

As Cerdic swung down to wound Tristan even more, Lancelot lunged the final few feet and intercepted the sword stroke and said, "Uh, un, that's my friend you mean to kill. I can't let that happen."

Sarmatia sighed in relief as she saw from the corner of her eye, as Guinevere rolled out from under the three swords that were hopelessly locked above her.

Cynric sneered at her and said, "I remember you…you were at the lake with the Knights!"

Sarmatia smiled cockily and said, "So, what of it? Are you afraid to fight little old me?"

Cynric roared and swung his sword viciously at Sarmatia. She blocked each stroke masterfully and said as she made a few bloody marks upon his body herself, "You won't win."

"My father's army WILL win! We have never lost a battle!"

Sarmatia snorted and said as she slammed her swords against his one and watched it fly through the air and land ten feet away from them both, "Take a look boyo…this battle is over!"

As Cynric gazed about him, he swore and turned back to the woman he had been battling.

She was the last thing he saw on this earth.

Cerdic met each of Lancelot's swings evenly and said, "You came to your friend's aid, why? You should have left him to die. He is weak. You are strong. Why wait your time with him?"

Lancelot didn't bother to answer as he, instead said, "You know, you really shouldn't have challenged Tristan to begin with…when it was two women friends of ours that killed your second son months earlier."

Cerdic roared with anger, but his powerful strikes never gave him purchase.

Lancelot was tiring though. He was evenly matched to this Saxon-King, but he was tiring out faster than normal. He supposed it was because he had gotten little to no sleep in the last three days, but he also knew the Arthur was close by.

As he tripped over a protruding bloody arm, he looked up into the victorious eyes of Cerdic, the Saxon King. As Lancelot readied himself to role to the left, he spotted Arthur's red armor from the corner of his eyes.

Lancelot sighed in relief as he rolled to the side, and Arthur took his place.

He did it. He saved Tristan's life.

Now, all he had to do was get him **AND** Tristan back to the Healing Chambers safety.

Arthur gazed around him and felt a huge weight lift from his soul as Cerdic's body collapsed at his feet. The battle was done. The Britons had won. Now, all that was left was cleaning up.

As he looked through the wispy smoke, he saw Sarmatia kneeling next to a weakly sitting body. It looked familiar to him too-**GUINEVERE**!!!

As he rushed to her side, he threw off his helmet, and wrapped his arms around the lithe figure of the woman he **JUST** realized he loved.

Sarmatia looked at them and said as Guinevere wrapped her arms around him too, "She's alive Arthur…we all are."

WEDDING

The day was bright and beautiful. Arthur, who was dressed in his finest Roman Regalia, was standing in the center of the Ring of Stones with Guinevere, who was dressed in a beautiful white dress and veil, Lancelot, who was standing to his left beside him, was dressed in his best armor, and Sarmatia, who was standing to Guinevere's right, was dressed in a beautiful violet gown that nearly matched Guinevere's wedding dress and Sebille who was dressed in a pretty yellow gown too.

Merlin handed Arthur a golden chalice.

As he and Guinevere both drank from it, Merlin took it back, place it on the alter, and said proudly, " Arthur, Guinevere, our people are one. As you are."

The people cheered happily as the new couple had their first kiss as husband and wife. No one was happier for them than the two inside the circle with them-Lancelot and Sarmatia. They smiled lovingly at one another and both dreamt of their own wedding-to-be in two weeks.

Bors, who was celebrating with everyone else, looked upon the contented face of his commander and king, looked at Vanora, and then said to his eleventh child, whom he was currently holding, "Now I'm really gonna have to marry your mother."

Vanora, who was hugging Romana, her best friend, happily, snorted and said sarcastically as she took eleven from him, "Who said I'd have you?"

Then Merlin went to his knees, and shouted, "King Arthur!"

The Knights were astounded as everyone around them went to their knees too. In amazement, they slowly fell to their knees too as the people cheered, "Hail, Arthur!"

Arthur from his place upon the cliffs with his new wife, Guinevere, looked out upon his lands and new subject and said in promise, "Let every man, woman, child bear witness that from this day all Britons will be united in one common cause."

With those words, he thrusted Excalibur into the air and smiled when Guinevere's hand joined his.

The Knights watched with wide eyes as the threw their own swords into the air in a respective salute and the Britons jumped to their feet and cried out gloriously, "Arthur! Arthur!"

Bors threw his own into the air and cried out loudly, "Artorius!"

Arthur glanced at him with a smile and said smile grew even larger as Lancelot cried out, "Hail, King Arthur Pendragon! King of the Briton Isles! Hail!!!!!!!!!"

In a place that is and a place that once was, a woman stood guard over the world and watched with proud eyes as Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Sarmatia, for the first time ever in all the lives they've had, laughed and acted childishly during the wedding celebrations of Lancelot and Sarmatia.

"Well done my children...you've beatan Fate."

"Not necessarily..." echoed three voices in harmony.

The gaurdian smirked mirthlessly and said, "We'll see, Fates, we'll see..."

I cut a few scenes out because the women were there. Like the scene with Lancelot and Guinevere. That didn't happen here because Sarmatia was there and Lancelot didn't want to hurt her feelings by talking so intimately with Guinevere!

I added a couple of scenes too because I added a third survivor, Sebille.


End file.
